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SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 



LITERARY COMPENDIUM 



FOR 



Authors, Editors, Re-porters, Correspondents, 
Lawyers, Teachers, Students, Etc. 



WITH A 



Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms 

Specially Peepaeed foe Weitees. 



3/ 



By SYMMES M. JELLEY. 

AUG 22 1887 - 



CHICAGO: 

The Atlas Literary Bureau, 

1887. 




J* 



Copyright, 1887, 
By SYMMES M. JELLEY. 



AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 



This little book is intended for the use of literary 
workers and those who have not learned, by practical 
acquaintance, the crooked paths which lead to success 
in newspaper work and novel writing. It is designed 
as a hand-book for writers, but not to serve in place of 
exhaustive text books on Rhetoric, Grammar, Punctu- 
ation, etc. Fully nine-tenths of the printed matter read 
daily consists of newspaper columns, magazines and the 
pages of fiction, and for this reason I have confined 
myself to these topics. 

In order to be concise, a large amount of material has 
been condensed and only that of essential worth has been 
retained. Enough has been taken up, however, to en- 
able the reader to so fashion his literary products as to 
win the approval of editors and publishers and, per- 
chance, reap just remuneration for his thought and labor. 

In the preparation of the following pages I have not 

only drawn largely from my own practical experience, but 

have willingly turned to the productions of well known 

and successful writers. I owe much to the gifted pen 

of Robert Luce and the works of A. Arthur Reade, also 

to standard text books and dictionaries. 

S. M. J. 
Chicago, March 15, 1887. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



WRITING FOR THE PRESS. 



CHAPTEK I. 

STYLE. 

Derivation, Definition and Usage of the Word Style in the 
English Language — Style in Newspapers and Periodicals — 
How Great Writers Secure Style — Carlyle's Ideas — Method of 
Rev. Binney — The Best Works to Study for Style — How to 
Improve — Where to Find the Finest Passages — Clearness and 
the Way to Secure it — Methods for Brevity — How Sentences 
Should End — Purity — Slang — Technical Terms — Foreign 
and Inconsistent Words — Macaulay's Opinion of "Pilgrim's 
Progress" — Oliver Goldsmith's Diction — Matters of Style — 
Stiffness — Introductions — The Life of Sentences — Writing 
Against Space — Proficiency in Composing — What to Express 

— How to Express it. 

CHAPTER II. 

PUNCTUATION. 

Definition — Importance to Writers — Compositors — Work 
of Desk-Editors and Proof-Readers — Where to Use the Period 

— The Colon — The Semicolon — The Comma — The Dash — 
Practical Hints — Quotation Marks — Illustrations — Brackets 
and Parentheses — Newspaper Rules — Where to Get Them — 
General Remarks. 

CHAPTER III. 

CAPITALIZATION. 

Use of Capitals — Rules —How Newspaper Employes Capi- 
talize General Rules — Examples — Words Not Capitalized 

— Illustrations — Lists for References — Abbreviations and Ex- 
ceptions — " Side Heads" — What Should be Spelled Out — 



Illustrations — Rules for Italics — Hints and Observations 

— Compound Words — Rules and Illustrations — How to Use 
the Hyphen. 

CHAPTER IV. 

MISUSED WORDS AND PHRASES. 

Pure Diction — Power of Good Language — The Value of 
Being Able to Write and Speak Correctly — An Extended List 
of Words and Phrases Commonly Misused, with Corrections and 
Discriminations — Valuable Information for Writers — Where 
to Find Further Explanations. 

CHAPTER V. 

QUESTIONS OF GRAMMAR. 

An Eminent Writer's Advice — Short and Practical Rules for 
the Use of Pronouns — Illustrations — How to Use Verbs — 
List of Best Authorities on Shall and Will — Where Adverbs 
Should be Placed — The Use of Adjectives — Examples — Errors 
in the Use of Prepositions With a Classified List — Errors in 
Arrangement of Words — Illustrations — Words With Puzzling 
Plurals — Rules — Brief Rules for Spelling — Illustrations. 

CHAPTER VI. 

NEWSPAPER ENGLISH. 

Why Editors and Reporters Often Err — Style for Editorials 

— Requirements for Editorial Writing — The Broad Field of 
Editorials — Variety of Talent Required — Comments on Good 
Editorials — Reporting — Clearness — Condensation — Accuracy 
— What Constitutes Good Reporting — Difference Between 
Experts and Novices — " Fine Writing " — List of Hackneyed 
Words and Phrases — Illustrations and Comments Upon " Fine 
Writing" — Miscellaneous Matter — What Contributions are 
Acceptable — Choice of Subjects — What to Write. 

CHAPTER VII. 

HOW TO PREPARE MSS. 

Why Good Articles are Refused and Poor Ones are Often 
Accepted — Twenty-five Plain Rules for the Preparation of 
" Copy," With Reasons and Explanations — Valuable Hints — 
Taking Notes — Shorthand Writers — The Value of Shorthand 

— Verbatim Reporting and Newspapers — The Difficulties 
Which Beset Novices — Experienced Reporters — Wherein 
Shorthanders Fail — Their Success — Longhand against Short- 
hand — The True Requisites of a First-class Reporter — What 
He Should be Familiar with in Literature. 



FICTION 



CHAPTEB I. 

The Field in America Limitless — Fiction More Profitable 
Than Newspaper Work — Value of Newspaper Writing to 
Amateurs — The Increase of Novels — Fiction Defined — Ma- 
terials of Novels — What They Are — Where to Find Them — 
Plagiarism — Voltaire's Idea of Originality — Emerson's Opin- 
ion — Dramatic Presentations — What Should be Avoided in 
the Selection of Materials — Style — Why French Novels Please 
Americans — Faults of Amateurs — De Quincey's Advice — 
Henry Ward Beecher's Method of Beading — Nathaniel Haw- 
thorne, William M. Thackeray, and George Eliot as Models of 
Style — Walter Scott's Bomances as Studies — Pet Phrases and 
Expressions — Plot Defined — Of What it Should Consist — 
Novelists Who Depend on Plot — The Analytical Novel — Com- 
ments — Characterization and Characters — Methods —Outlines 

— Charles Dickens. 

CHAPTEB II. 

AUTHORS AT WORK. 

Special Talents — Size of Paper for Short Stories — The Best 
Place to Write — How Charles Lamb Worked — Victor Hugo's 
Method — Johnson — Southey — Macaulay — Bancroft, the 
Historian — Mrs. Burnett — " Mark Twain " — Henry James, Jr. 

— " Ouida " — George Eliot — Dickens — Thackeray — Char- 
lotte Bronte — The Best Way to Make Bapid Progress — Wait- 
ing for the Promptings of Genius — Size of Paper for Book 
Manuscript — Scrap Books — What Novelists Should Put in 
Them — Charles Beade's Habit — Bevision — The Care Exercised 
by Great Authors — What to Do After Writing the First Draught 

v — The Value of Professional Bevisers. 

CHAPTEB III. 
AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS. 

Publishers, Shrewd Men — Will not Purchase Unsalable mss. 

— Good Material Sure of Sale — Instances of Famous Books 
Being Declined — Miss Murfree's Success — Terms With Pub- 



lishers — How Authors May Dispose of Manuscripts — Author's 
Earnings — Prices Paid — The Novelists Who Have Succeeded 
— Prices Paid by Periodicals and Weekly Papers — How to 
Transmit Manuscripts — Eates of Postage — Hints. 

CHAPTEE IV. 

LAW OF COPYRIGHTS. 

(under revised acts of congress.) 

Printed Title Eequired — Style of Print — Fees — Two Copies 
Eequired — Penalty — Notice of Copyright Given by Imprint — 
Translations — Eights Eeserved — Duration of Copyright — 
Time of Publication — Assignments — Copies — Serials — Works 
of Art — No Labels and Names Copyrighted — Full Name Ee- 
quired. 



SPECIAL LIST OF ENGLISH SYNONYMS AND 
ANTONYMS, (or synonyms and words of reverse 
meaning.) 



WRITING FOR THE PRESS. 



CHAPTER I. 

STYLE. 



The word Style is derived from the Latin stylus, the 
name of a steel instrument used by the Romans for 
writing on tablets covered with wax. By metaphor the 
word has become the means of expressing any one's 
method of composition. 

I. Definition. — Style is the manner of expressing 
thought in language, whether oral or written. 

II. Formation. — In newspapers and periodicals 
there are as many styles of composition as there are 
writers. Every author has a manner peculiar to him- 
self of expressing thought, which is more or less de- 
fective. There are few successful writers who have not 
studied great authors for the purpose of securing a bet- 
ter style. The study of models is of primary impor- 
tance. Carlyle asserted that it was as impossible for a 
man to change his style as to change his skin, and Les- 
sing says. " Every man has his own style, just as every 
man has his own nose." 

It is as easy to write good English as bad Eng- 
lish. The return for a careful study of the best writ- 
ers is incalculable. Rev. Thomas Binney, a famous 
preacher, acquired a good style by reading Johnson's 
" Rasselas " and putting down all the new words that he 
found. Then he wrote essays in imitation of Johnson 



12 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

and used them. He did the same with Thompson's 
" Seasons," and "Paradise Lost." In this manner he 
gained the power to write with readiness and achieved 
a great reputation as a writer. All successful writers 
owe their reputation as much to style as to their subject 
matter. The best productions should be studied, those 
of Shakespeare, Milton, Addison, Swift, Hume, Burke, 
Cobbet, Ruskin, Tennyson, for instance, not with a view 
of imitating them, but for the purpose of mastering their 
methods. Blackstone's style is admirable and Hallam's 
is excellent. Read a few pages of Hallam or Burke, 
then write in your own language the substance of what 
you remember, and afterwards compare your work with 
the original. This is a good way to improve. 

James Russell Lowell, author of the famous " Bigelow 
Papers," considers Carlyle a master of style. Thackeray 
and Ruskin said the same. Carlyle may be said to have 
a German-English style. William Black says that any 
young writer who imagines a clear and concise expression 
is a natural gift, will do well to study in Cunningham's 
collection of Goldsmith's writings, the continual obser- 
vations which the author considered necessary. In 
brief, select several authors who are masters of style, 
note their mode of expression, the arrangement of their 
words and sentences, and compare their work with your 
own. Ruskin is the great English classic and, above 
all, should be read and studied. His " Sesame and 
Lilies," and his " Crown of Wild Olives," contain some 
of the finest passages to be found in English prose. 
The preface to his "Arrows of the Chase," is a model 
of pure, sweet and equable language. 

Neglect of style is the cause of slovenly writing. 
Remember that when so many authors of ability and 
talent are contending for each round of the ladder of 
success, that the top is most often gained by a clear, 
precise and graceful style. 



WRITING FOR THE PRESS. 13 

III. Clearness. — In constructing your sentences 
aim to use words which will convey a clear and unmis- 
takable meaning. " Care should be taken," says Quin- 
tilian, "not. that the reader may understand, but that 
he must understand, whether he will or not." Use 
special, instead of general terms, because they are 
grasped by the reader by a single act of thought, and 
the images they call up are distinct and definite. The 
more special the terms, the brighter the picture. Always 
use plain English words and avoid a pretentious, or in- 
flated style. 

Write so as to give your readers as little trouble as 
possible. To write clearly it is necessary to think 
clearly. Arrange your ideas definitely and express 
them by simple words which will convey your exact 
meaning. Thackeray is a fine model of clearness. Gold- 
smith should be studied. 

IV. Brevity. — This quality is considered by some 
authorities to be the leading characteristic of a good style. 

It is certainly an essential one as the strength of a 
sentence depends much upon its brevity. A sentence is 
made stronger by leaving out superfluous words. Gen- 
erally speaking, every word which does not add to the 
meaning, weakens a sentence. 

Writers would do well, after completing a manu- 
script, to go through it, and strike out every superlative 
and a majority of the epithets which the sense does not 
demand. Entire clauses are sometimes redundant. 

Care should be exercised not to take out words which 
ought to be retained. The relative pronoun in its proper 
place always makes the meaning more precise. "The 
man I loved" should be "The man whom I loved." 
"The land we owned, and the house we built" should 
be "The land which we owned, and the house which we 
built." 

No little skill is required for the proper management 



14 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

of the conjunction and. When it is used for connect- 
ing one clause after another in a careless way, it has an 
enfeebling effect upon the style. This may be avoided 
by dividing the sentence by periods, making several 
sentences. 

Sentences should not be ended with unimportant or 
little words. Such words ought to be in a less conspic- 
uous place. 

It is rarely expedient to close a sentence with an ad- 
verb, or a prejiosition. The pronoun it, when accompan- 
ied with a preposition, as with it, in it, etc., is a feeble 
ending to a sentence. 

Nothing is lost by judicious shortening, nor is any- 
thing gained by repetition. 

V. Purity. — 1. Avoid slang and vulgar expres- 
sions. Purity of language is said to depend upon the 
laws of taste, but this standard continually varies. The 
rule is, to follow the practice of the best authors. Much 
slang is used by writers of sensational novels, and it is 
frequently found in reputable works. 

2. Technical terms are seldom understood by the 
average reader, and should not be used unless absolute- 
ly necessary. Their use should be confined to the initi- 
ated. Certain legal, medical and mechanical terms of 
common usage, however, are admissible, as — plaintiff, 
defendant; emetic, cathartic; lever, pivot, etc. 

3. Foreign, obsolete, newly coined and unauthorized 
words, are barbarisms. They violate purity of style. 
Foreign words are seldom used by ripe scholars whose 
knowledge of languages is profound. Young writers 
whose attainments are comparatively limited frequently 
interlard their sentences with Latin, French, German 
and Greek words, in order to display their learning. 
When a foreign word becomes domesticated and is 
familiar to ordinary readers, it may be used. It is best, 
however, to use its English equivalent. 



WRITING FOR THE PRESS. 15 

If a word has been dropped from the vocabulary of 
the best writers, avoid it. A writer who is careful of 
the purity of his diction will not use a new word, if it 
is formed contrary to the genius of the language, that is, 
when its component parts are of different origin. Latin 
endings should be affixed to Latin roots, and Saxon stems 
should have Saxon endings. 

Webster's Unabridged Dictionary is the best authority 
for ordinary words. Common consent for the use of a 
particular word to mean a certain thing renders its use 
correct. 

4. Inconsistent words. — Such as are seen in this sen- 
tence — " I had liked to have gotten one or two broken 
heads for my insolence." It should be " I was once or 
twice in danger of having my head broken, etc." 

Macaulay, the historian, declared Bunyan's " Pilgrim's 
Progress " to be the purest in style of all books in the 
English language. Oliver Goldsmith's works are noted 
for their chaste diction. 

VI. Matters of Style.— Study to avoid stiffness. 
Never hesitate' to go at once into your subject. Intro- 
ductions should be brief. 

Use the first person as much as possible. It gives 
more life to the sentences. When you mean " I " say 
"I" and not " your humble servant," " your obedient 
servant," "the writer" or any of the many stilted para- 
phrases so often seen. 

Direct quotations are more forcible than indirect. 
" I am shot" he said, is preferable to, " He said he was 
shot." The editorial " we " is proper when the news- 
paper, not the writer, is speaking; but a reporter, or cor- 
respondent, describes his own act and should say " I," 
not " we." 

The habit of " writing against space " is a great liter- 
ary danger to newspaper writers. When you have ex- 
pressed one idea clearly and concisely, leave it and go to 
the next. 



16 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

Extend your vocabulary by fully describing scenes, 
objects, occurrences, characters, literally and figurative- 
ly, in various styles, until you can write the same matter 
in a dozen ways. Re-write in your own words passages 
from various authors of acknowledged excellence. These 
methods will greatly improve your proficiency in com- 
position. 

Choose the most appropriate words to express your 
meaning. 

Express nothing more or less than the idea intended 
to be conveyed. 



WRITING FOR THE PRESS. 17 



CHAPTER II. 

PUNCTUATION. 

I. Definition. — Punctuation is the art of marking 
with points the various members or parts of a sentence, 
for the purpose of making the sense more apparent. 

II. Its Importance. — None except good gramma- 
rians are capable of punctuating sentences perfectly, 
yet it is within the ability of every one to punctuate 
manuscript so as to bring out its sense and make it 
plain to the reader. It is the duty of every writer to 
punctuate his own "copy" and he should know how to do 
it well. Many people occupying social and professional 
positions are wofully ignorant of the rules governing 
the^ proper pointing of sentences, although they may 
spell correctly, and express themselves without gram- 
matical error. 

It is the habit of many persons to rely wholly upon 
compositors, who are supposed to be experts in punctua- 
tion. 

Compositors are employed to set up " copy," not to 
punctuate it, and desk-editors and proof-readers have 
work to do other than correcting your blunders. No 
one so well understands the meaning of an author as the 
author himself, and it is folly £o suppose others will punct- 
uate your matter as you would have it done. 

III. The Period — Place a period at the close of 
every sentence you write, also after titles, abbreviations 
and Roman numerals. 

IV. Tlie Colon. — Use the colon before a speech 
or quotation of more than one sentence ; before a series 
of statements introduced by as follows, viz., etc.; and 
before a short quotation formally introduced. 



18 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

T. The Semi-Colon. — Use a semi-colon when two 
or more members of a sentence are closely connected 
and a comma cannot be correctly used. 

VI. The Comma. — Put a comma before and after 
parenthetical clauses: adjective, participial, adverbial 
and absolute phrases: and two or more phrases in the 
same sentence. Generally, insert a comma where the 
meaning of the sentence without it would be obscure. 

VII. The Dash — This mark is used so indiscrim- 
inately by careless writers, that some critics insist that 
it should be banished. Correctly used it is highly rhet- 
orical and is often a necessity. It should not be used 
instead of any of the other points. Every dash is 
wrongly used unless it is positively needed. 

Place a dash where the construction of the sentence is 
broken: at a sudden and unexpected change of senti- 
ment: at a significant pause : after as and thus : and before 
and after rhetorical repetitions. It is, also, used instead 
of the usual sign of parenthesis. 

VIII. Hints. — An indirect question should not have 
an interrogation-point. O is never immediately fol- 
lowed by an exclamation point. 

Oh! always requires the exclamation-mark after it, 
except when the sentence has the point at the end. 

Note how brackets and parentheses are used. Brack- 
ets are restricted to interpolations, corrections and ex- 
planations made by writers in quotations, or by editors. 

Nouns, singular number, whether proper names or not, 
and plural nouns not ending with s, form the possessive 
by adding the apostrophe and s. Possessive pronouns 
never take the apostrophe. 

Make quotation marks clear and large, that they may 
not be mistaken for commas or apostrophes. Double 
marks precede and follow direct quotations; where one 
quotation occurs within another, single marks only are 
used. If the quotation does not begin a paragraph none 



WRITING FOR THE PRESS. 19 

should be used before its close. Every paragraph should 
have the beginning marks, and only the last should have 
the closing marks. A paragraph of a quotation within 
a quotation has both double and single marks at the be- 
ginning and the single marks at the end, unless it closes 
the entire quotation, when single and double marks are 
used. Do not repeat errors and mis-spellings unless you 
wish to ridicule the printer and author. 

Quotation marks cause more errors than any other of 
the marks. It is a common thing to see quotations be- 
gun and not ended. The responsibility of the words is 
frequently placed on the wrong person, and it is often 
impossible to tell who says them — the writer, the speaker 
or some person who is quoted by the writer. The fault 
is most often the author's, sometimes that of the com- 
positor. The proof-reader is seldom in the wrong. 

Where ballots are taken at any meeting, make it 
" yeas " and " nays," not " ayes " and " noes." and punct- 
uate thus: yeas, 2; nays, 3. 

Where a list of names is given, with the States to 
which the individuals belong, punctuate with commas 
only, thus: Messrs. Daives of Jfassachusetts, Vest of 
Missouri, etc. But where a number of names occur, 
with the offices which they hold, punctuate with com- 
mas and semi-colons, thus: J. S. Phelps, Governor; 
Henry Overstolz, Mayor; etc. 

A sentence containing word inclosed by brackets or 
parentheses, punctuate just as if the part inclosed were 
omitted, the point, if any, coming after the last bracket 
or parenthesis. 

Any expression or remark thrown in a speech or 
quotation, not originally belonging to it, is inclosed by 
brackets, not parentheses. 

Punctuate trials, investigations, and inquests as or- 
dinary reading matter. If sentences are incomplete use 
semi-colons; if complete use periods. Example: Went 
to the window; saiv the prisoner. 



20 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

In proceedings of public bodies, dialogues, etc., use 
dash after name of speaker, as: 

Mr. Garfield — Does the gentleman object? 

Mr. Kelly — I do, sir. 

Omit comma in phrases like the following: Herald of 
New York, Smith of the Mail 

Use comma before " and," " or," " nor," etc., when 
they connect three or more nouns, adjectives, etc., as 
John, James, and Henry leave toivn next week/ he was 
kicked, and cuffed, and beaten. 

Use the plain dash, without commas, in all cases. 

Use the colon after viz., to-wit, namely, etc. 

Do not use periods after nicknames, as Tom, Sam, 
Bill, etc. 

The name of the State in the following case should be 
inclosed in parentheses: " The Jackson [Mich.) Pilot has 
enlarged." 

No two newspapers have the same rules for punctua- 
tion. The best way for you to find out their method is 
to ask for a copy of the editor's " Typographical Rules." 
Study them carefully, note the punctuation of the paper 
and you can not fail to become, in form at least, a good 
writer for the press. 



Writing for the press. 2i 



CHAPTER III. 

CAPITALIZATION. 



1. Capitals are used for the same purpose as punct- 
uating marks. 

II. Rules. — 1. Begin every sentence, line of poetry 
and direct quotation with a capital. 

2. All words denoting the Deity should begin with a 
capital. 

3. Proper nouns, personal titles and proper adjectives 
should begin with capitals. 

4. All words derived from proper names should be 
capitalized. 

5. The important words in book titles, etc., should be 
capitalized. 

6. Names of the months and days of the week should 
begin with capitals. 

7. The pronoun I and the interjection should be 
capitals. 

The rules governing editors, reporters, proof-readers 
and compositors of the various daily newspapers are 
often changed by managers. The foregoing rules, how- 
ever, are generally in force. It would be well for those 
who write for the press, to observe the following regu- 
lations: — 

Capitalize titles of office, honor, and degree when 
designating particular individuals, or members of some 
one official body, or in reports of any organization, and 
in cases where the title is specifically used or particu- 
larly emphasized. Otherwise not. For example: The 
Governor was invited. — Some of the Aldermen voted. — 
The Governors of several States were present. — The 
Chairman insisted. — The kings and queens of history; 



22 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

laws defining the powers of governors, senators, repre- 
sentatives, mayors, aldermen, etc. 

— Congressional, commissioner, etc., follow the above 
rule: but master, receiver, and officers of merchant ves- 
sels (as captain, mate) are not capitalized. 

—Titles, and words denoting occupation, relation, etc., 
as captain, officer, patrolman, engineer, brother, cousin, 
when immediately preceding a proper name: as, Capt. 
Smith. 

— The divisions of a compound word, which, if stand- 
ing alone in ordinary matter, would be capitalized: as, 
Franco-Prussian. 

— When the distinguishing name is given, capitalize 
day, line (of boats or cars), committee, commission, 
board, bureau, republic, empire, ministry, department, 
church, school, society, lodge, home, county, city, ward, 
district, park, square, hall, station, building, block, house, 
depot, elevator, gasworks, waterworks, sea, lake, river, 
mountain, valley, pass, etc. : as the Baptist Church, the 
Blue Line, Union Square, the Rocky Mountains, the 
Grand Central Depot, the Exposition Building. But in 
other cases, or when some merely descriptive or limit- 
ing word or words precede or accompany, do not cap- 
italize : as, the Colorado mountains, the Everett House 
block. 

I>o not capitalize the following, either alone or 
with the name prefixed: Army, navy, mine, street, 
avenue, boulevard, court (a short street), place, addi- 
tion, subdivision, dam, slip. 

— When used alone do not capitalize, republic, em- 
pire, county, city, ward, municipality, department, com- 
mittee, commission, board, bureau, gasworks, water- 
works, judges and clerks of election, principals of 
schools and assistants, kindergarten, high school, etc., 
officers of merchant vessels (captain, mate, etc.). 

— n. e., s. w., etc., referring to sections of land, m (a 



WRITING FOR THE PRESS. 23 

thousand), a. m., p. m., constitutional, gubernatorial, 
fifteenth amendment, executive and legislative session, 
names of hills and acts, committee of the whole, con- 
ference committee, both houses (of Congress), upper 
and lower house (of Parliament), court of record, civil 
service, customs department, the papacy, popery, macad- 
amize, sophomore, communist, granger, spiritualist, 
deist, atheist, street arab, prussic acid, j^aris green, 
china cup, phillippic, cashmere shawl, polar sea, arctic 
regions, church and state, high church, low church, ex 
preceding a title, the seasons, the republic. 

— Lake-Shore drive, pavilion (etc.) parkway, Drexel 
(etc.) boulevard. 

— The pronoun in complimentary titles as her Majes- 
ty, your Honor, their Royal Highnesses; north, south, 
east, and west, when referring to directions; as east- 
bound freights, western part of the State, etc. 

— Ordinances, as, fire ordinance, lumber ordinance, etc. 

— Such titles as receiver, trustee, assignee, director, 
etc., except when prefixed to the name. 

Display "ads" are excepted. Liberal capitalization 
in them is desirable. 

MISCELLANEOUS KULES. 
I. Abbreviate. — Titles before names and numbers 
as Maj.-Gen. Smith, Capt. Jones, the Rev. H. N. Brown, 
Prof. James, Sec. 1. 
Exceptions: 

Admiral. District- Attorney. 

Adjutant-General. State- Attorney. 

Postmaster-General. Superintendent. 
Commodore. . Governor-General. 

Commander. Captain-General. 

Commissioner. Inspector-General. 

Attorney-General. Quartermaster-General. 

Surgeon-General. 



24 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

Use the character & in firm names, and in names of 
railroads, insurance companies, and canals. 

Monsieur M., Madame Mme., Mademoiselle Mile., 
Signor Sig., Monsignor Mgr., before names. 

The name of the month when followed by the day, but 
in no other case; as Nov. 12. Do not use " st," " d," 
or " th," after figures standing for the day of the month 
when given as above. 

IT. S. A., U. S. N., etc., following a person's name; as 
Gen. Stewart, U. S. A. 

Names of States when following names of towns or 
cities within them, but not otherwise; as Detroit, Mich.; 
Oshkosh, Wis.; Chicago, Cook County, 111. Where the 
name of the State follows the name of a county, spell 
out, except as above. 

The word county in a date, when accompanied by the 
name of a place within it; as Chicago, Cook Co., Madi- 
son, Dane Co., etc. Otherwise, spell out. 

Scriptural texts, credits, or references; as Gen., xliv., 
24; II. Sam., viii., 10-15. 

— In conversational paragraphs where the speaker is 
mentioned in side-head form, leave out quotation marks. 
Example: 

De Baggs — I have just invented a new wind-vane 
which will astonish the world. 

De Caggs — What are its advantages? 

" Only one. It is made of straw." 
' What good does that do?" 

" Why, my dear sir, you know straws show which way 
the wind blows." 

II. Spell Out all numbers under 100, except as 
given below, above that sum write in figures. Ages, 
prices (10 cents and above), per cent, dates, votes, time 
in races, hours of the day, and days of the month, 
always put in figures. In statistical matter — as reports 
from public departments, etc. — use figures. In dimen- 



WRITING FOR THE PRESS. 25 

sions of lots, boats, machinery, etc., use figures with an 
«x," as — Lot 25x125 ; length 60 feet, beam 17, width 
27 ; her boiler is 6x15 feet, steam-chest 2x4 feet, stroke 
3 feet, etc. 

— Railroad and company when occurring after the 
name: as, Lake Shore Railroad, Evans Transportation 
Company. 

— The names of streets, wards, districts, etc. : as 
Tenth street, First Ward, etc. 

— Christian names, like .Charles, Thomas, John, Wil- 
liam, etc., should not be abbreviated unless as signa- 
tures, or when set up in columns and there is not room 
to spell them out. 

— Spell out Mount: as, Mount Pleasant, Mount Ver- 
non, etc. ; Fort: as, Fort Phil Kearney, Fort Lincoln. 

III. Italics. — Do not italicize names of articles of 
dress, trimmings, dry goods, nor words from the Latin, 
French, etc., in common use; as, vim, encore, habitue, 
etc. 

— Italicize the names of all periodicals, whether 
weekly, monthly, or otherwise. Examples : Harper's 
Bazar, Harpers Monthly ', the Missouri Republican. 

— Do not italicize the names of legal documents and 
processes and legal and medical technicalities ; as, 
habeas corpus, in re., et al., vs., post mortem. 

— Generally, italics are used for important, emphatic, 
and contrasted terms. 

IV. Hints. — Webster's Unabridged is the standard 
for orthography, divisions of words, etc., always taking 
his preference as to orthography, except theatre, centre, 
etc. 

— When resolutions are numbered use the plain figure 
and period, and if the resolved is also used put thus: 

Resolved, 1. That, etc. 

This rule applies to all paragraphs or sentences which 
are numbered. 



26 



SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 



— Do not use " the " before Rev. 

— The word " Hon." is not to be used except in ex- 
tracts from speeches or documents, or when used in edi- 
torial. 

— Do not put " Mr." before a name when the Christian 
name or initials are given. 

— Do not use the hyphen in United States in instances 
like the following: United States District- Attorney 
Britton, nor compound the title in Secretary of State 
Frelinghuysen ; make it State- Attorney Smith, not 
State's- Attorney. 

— Spell yolk (not yelk), syrup (not sirup), worshipped 
(not worshiped), scion (not cion), keg (not cag). 

— Do not put the name of the state after the follow- 
ing cities when used in date lines: 



Des Moines, 

Detroit, 

Galveston, 

Indianapolis, 

Kansas City, 

Keokuk, 

Little Rock, 

Louisville, 

Memphis, 

Milwaukee, 

Mobile, 
V. Compounds. — Words and phrases used as ad- 
jectives, should be united with the hyphen, except 
where one word; as, a well-known man, matter-of-fact 
people. But a proper and common noun, used together 
as one name, which omit the hyphen when standing- 
alone, omit it when used adjectively; as Ttvelfth street 
bridge, City Hall news. 

— Adverbs in ly compounded with participles omit 
the hyphen; as, a newly built house. 

— Two or more limiting words compounded before a 



Baltimore, 

Boston, 

Brooklyn, 

Buffalo, 

Cairo, 

Chattanooga, 

Chicago, 

Council Bluffs, 

Cincinnati, 

Cleveland, 

Denver, 



Minneapolis, 
Nashville, 
New Orleans, 
New York, 
Omaha, 
Philadelphia, 
Pittsburg, 
St. Paul, 
St. Louis, 
San Francisco, 
Washington. 



WRITING FOR THE PRESS. 27 

noun omit the hyphen when occurring after it; as, a 
man ivell known, the place before mentioned. 

— Corner-stone, ex-Governor, Sergeant-at-Arms, home- 
stretch, back-stretch, good-by, court-martial, tax-payer, 
man-of-war, saw-mill, a half-dozen, a half-dollar, one- 
quarter, two-thirds, '49-er, small-pox, re-enforce, bird's- 
eye view, camel's-hair brush, etc., take the hyphen. 

— When the first part of a compound ends, and the 
second part begins, with the same letter, the hyphen is 
used, except in ofttimes, knickknack. 

■ — Prefixes (except bi, tri, and re) ending with a vowel, 
take the hyphen before a vowel, omit it before a con- 
sonant, except where necessary to distinguish from a 
word with same letters but of different meaning; as, re- 
creation (creating anew), re-form, (to form again); and 
recreation (amusement), reform, rearrange, biennial, etc. 

— Court-room and other compounds of room take the 
hyphen. 



28 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 



CHAPTER IV. 

MISUSED WORDS AND PHRASES. 

Pure diction is a rare excellence. " The noblest lit- 
erary study of an Englishman," said one of our profess- 
ors, " is the study of the English language. The noblest 
literary gain of the educated man is the power of wield- 
ing that language well." When a man can not write a 
short business letter, or an article for the press, correct- 
ly, he is debarred from taking the place to which perhaps 
his natural good sense entitles him. 

A knowledge of the technicalities of grammar is, of 
course, valuable; but experience shows that many peo- 
ple, who have never studied the science of grammar from 
school books, are able to speak and write English with- 
out violating its rules. Many who profess to be learned 
in syntax continually misuse certain words, and inces- 
santly err in the construction of their sentences. The 
list given below, comprises most of the words and 
phrases commonly misused. 

A. Is expressed or understood before words begin- 
ning with a consonant; e. g. a book, a university, a Euro- 
pean. An is used before words of one syllable begin- 
ning with h in which the h is not sounded, viz: herb, 
holiest, hour, etc.; before words of two syllables use a 
when the accent is on the first; an when the accent is on 
the second syllable; e. g. a history, an historical fact. 

Abortive. Means " brought out before it is well ma- 
tured," " untimely birth," etc. A plan may be abortive, 
but an act cannot. 

Above. Wrong in such phrases as — "The above 
statement," " above their strength;" say instead, "The 
foregoing statement." " Beyond their strength." 



WRITING FOR THE PRESS. 29 

Accord. A better word is give. 

Administer. Medicine and oaths can be adminis- 
tered; but blows are dealt or given. 

Adopt. " Will you adopt this plan?" should be " will 
you take this plan?" 

Aggravate. Is not an equivalent to vex or irritate. 

Allude. Means to indicate jocosely; allusion is the 
by-play of expression. 

Alone. Is always an adjective and never modifies a 
verb. 

Amateur. Often confounded with novice. An am- 
ateur may be an artist of great skill, but he is not a pro- 
fessional. A novice is a beginner. 

Antecedents. Say previous life, or, better, past. 

Anticipate. Means to take or act before another, to 
take before the proper time. Do not use for look forward 
to, or expect. 

Any. Never write not any, when you can use the 
short word no. 

Appreciate. This word means to estimate justly, 
therefore, you can not appreciate a person highly. Stocks 
rise in value; they do not appreciate. 

Apprehend. Think, fancy and imagine are better 
words. 

Apt. Expresses fitness — liability, exposure. 

Artist. Use this word in referring to one who pro- 
fesses a fine art. 

As. Do not write "not as I know," but "not that, etc." 

Ascertain. Find out is shorter. 

Assist. A simpler word is help. 

As Though. Do not use for as if. He walks as if 
[though] he were lame. 

As Well. Not a synonym of also. 

At Length. Do not use for at last. 

Attendance. Awkward in " A large attendance was 
present." " The attendance was large," is better. 



30 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

Audience. An assembly of hearers. Audiences do 
not attend gymnastic performances, pantomimes, boat- 
races, etc. 

Authoress. Not well used. Author is preferable. 

Avocation. A person's pleasures, or incidental do- 
ings — a man's vocation is bis business, or calling. 

Balance. Do not use in the sense of remainder. 

Beside— Besides. Use beside for by the side of; be- 
sides for in addition to. 

Between. Only applied to two things at once. 

Both. Superfluous in both alike. 

Bound. Unless expressing obligation write deter- 
mined, in such sentences as " I am determined to do it " 

Bountiful. Do not confound with plentiful. 

Bring. Expresses motion toward you. Fetch, motion 
first from and then toward you. 

Build. Preferable to erect. Built is shorter than 
erected or constructed. 

But What. Omit what. " I do not know but [what] 
you are right." The same applies to but that. 

By. "A boy by the name of John" should be "A 
boy of the name of John." 

Calculate. Does not express expect, purpose or in- 
tention. 

Casualty. Often written casuality. 

Character. Calumny may injure reputation, but 
not character. 

Citizen. Used much where person or man would 
be better. 

Climax. We reach a climax, but never " cap a cli- 
max." 

Commence. Poor Latin. Begin is always prefera- 
ble. 

Consider. Means to contemplate, but do not use for 
think, suppose or regard. 

Constantly. Does not mean frequently. 



WRITING FOR THE PRESS. 31 

Crime. Is a violation of a secular law. Sin is the 
violation of a religious law. Vice is a harmful habit of a 
person. 

l>epot. Use station. All railroad depots are sta- 
tions , but very few stations are depots. 

Deprecate, Means to beg or pray against, and is 
often used for censure, disapprove, etc. 

Description. The words kind or sort are better. 
Write " His wares were of the meanest sort," and not 
" of the meanest description." 

Despatch. A telegraph message is a despatch and 
not a dispatch. 

Despite. Incorrectly preceded by in and followed 
by of Write either, " Despite all his efforts," or " In 
spite of his efforts." 

Directly. Not a synonym of as soon as. 

Dirt. A thing that is dirty is foul. Often badly 
used for earth, loam, gravel, etc. 

Donate. Not used by good writers. Give is better. 
Gift is better than donation. 

Done. Exercise care in the use of this word. The 
sentence — " I ought not to write as I have done," shows 
its incorrect, but frequent, use. 

Don't. Is pardonable in colloquial writing and con- 
versation like can't, won't, isn't, and haven't, but always 
discriminate between don't and doesn't. " He don't " 
is as incorrect as " He do not." 

Dramatize. When stories are changed from a nar- 
rative form to a drama, they are dramatized: plays are 
adapted when they are altered. 

During. Webster defines this word as meaning, 
" In the time of." It is then clear the word used as fol- 
lows — u The club will give a ball during the week," is 
not well chosen. 

Either. Used separately, either is corresponded to 
by or, and neither by nor\ either this or that, neither 



32 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

this nor that. After each, use the singular number; 
e. g. " Neither the dog nor the cat is to be seen." 

Elder. This word, also, eldest, should be confined 
to relatives and historical persons. 

Embrace. Do not use for contain or comprise. An 
obituary contained the following ludicrous statement: 
" He left a large circle of mourners embracing an amia- 
ble wife and children." 

Every. Means each of all, not a mass. It can not 
be properly applied to that which, in its nature, is in- 
separable. Notice the error in each of the following 
sentences; "The children deserve every praise," "Every 
person must show their ticket." 

Expect. Does not mean suppose, think or guess. 
You can not expect backward as implied in " I expect 
you were hurt yesterday." 

Exploded. Often used in connection with idea, clew 
and the like. A clew can not explode. 

Farther. Is used exclusively with reference to dis- 
tance. In other connections write further; e. g. " He 
is farther away than you think." "Look further down 
the column." 

First. Almost always wrong to say the three first 
or the three second', write instead, the first three or the 
second three. Let "first" be first. 

Firstly. No such word. Write first. 

For The Purpose Of. Except in formal writing, 
the last three words are usually needless. 

Full Complement. FuU is redundant. 

Gentlemen. "Socially the term 'gentlemen' has 
become almost vulgar. It is certainly less employed 
by gentlemen than by inferior persons." — [All the Year 
Bound']. The best usage is, men and women instead of 
gentlemen and laaies. 

Got. Misused more than any word in the language. 
" I have got a pencil," is improper. " I have got" is in 
ninety-nine cases out of a hundred a vulgarism. 



WHITING FOR THE PRESS. 33 

Gratuitous. Do not use for untrue, unreasonable, 
unfounded and the like. 

Grove. Means a smcdl wood, therefore, a grove of 
trees is incorrect; of trees is superfluous. 

Hence. The phrase from hence is often used. Urom, 
in this connection, is worse than useless. 

Inaugurate. In most cases begin is the word to 
write. To inaugurate means to receive or induct into 
office with solemn ceremonies. 

Individual. Is well used when members of a class 
are viewed as units of a whole; in other instances write 
man, woman ox person. 

Indorse. Do not use in the sense of sanction, ap- 
prove or applaud. A note of hand may be indorsed. 

In Order To. It is briefer and better to write to, in 
most sentences. 

JLady. Write woman, except where purely social 
distinctions are made. 

L<ate. In the funeral of the late Mr. Jones, the word 
late is clearly superfluous. 

JLeg. When you mean leg, write leg, not lower limb. 

Iiengthy. The word long is preferred by careful 
writers. 

l<ess. Relates to quantity ;fetver is applied to numbers. 

Iiiable. Do not confound with likely. A man is 
not liable to act; but is liable to that to which he is ex- 
posed, obliged, or subject. 

JLief. Is permissible, but lieves is a vulgarism. 

ULterarian, An accepted new word as a substitute 
for the awkward phrase literary man and the foreign 
word litterateur. 

IiOcate. A pompous word for place or settle. 

Majority. In phrases as, "In the majority of cases, 
substitute most. 

Manufactory. The word factory is better, being 
briefer. 



34 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

Miss. You may say either the Misses Smith or the 
Miss Smiths. 

Mistake. " I am mistaken " is equivalent to " I am 
taken amiss." In most cases it is better to write at 
fault or wrong. 

Most. Often used for almost (not most). " It was 
almost (not most) noon." 

Mutual. Not a synonym of common. Mutual prop- 
erly relates to two persons, and implies reciprocity. 
Macaulay says: "Mutual friend is a low vulgarism for 
common friend." 

Neither. Is frequently used for none, thus : "Neither 
of the four prisoners has been visited since Saturday." 
Neither should be none. 

Number. A word often used where has is meant. 
Example — " The club numbers fifty members." 

Observe. Frequently used as a substitute for say. 

Obtain. Not a synonym for get. Write get when 
you mean get. 

Occasion. Often used as a stilted substitute for 
when, as in " On which occasion he shouted." 

Occur. Do not confound this word with takes place. 
Any thing occurs when it takes place by chance. Neither 
weddings nor funerals occur. A common error in news- 
papers. 

Off. Do not follow by from or of. "He leaped off 
[from] the rock." "He took the knife off [of] the mantel." 

Old. An old woman eighty years of age is a phrase 
containing an error frequently seen in print. A woman 
eighty years of age is certainly old. 

On. Often needlessly used when referring to special 
days. In the phrases on last Sunday, on next Thursday, 
on to-morrow, the on is useless. On Sunday last is 
worse. Custom has decided that we must write either 
" On the 4th of July," or "July 4 "; " on July 4th " and 
" on July 4," are incorrect, 



WRITING FOR THE PRESS. 35 

Only. (See Alone.) Is sometimes an adverb, as 
in, " I only speak German," implying that I do not write 
it; and sometimes an adjective as, "I speak only Ger- 
man," which means that I speak no other tongue. The 
best rule is to refrain from the use of only when alone 
can be substituted. 

Operation. The phrase at vjork is better than in 
operation. It is shorter. 

Pains. Write — " Great pains was taken," instead of 
" Great pains were taken. When exertion or trouble is 
intended, treat as a singular noun. 

Panacea. "Universal panacea " is tautological. 

Pantomime. Often used as pantomine. There is no 
such word as pantomine. 

Partake. Means to share, or take part of. Notice 
this absurdity — " When left alone, he partook of a hearty 
meal." 

Partially. Often confounded with partly. Par- 
tially is defined to mean with unjust or unreasonable bias. 

Participate. It is better to write take part. 

Party. Do not use for the simple words, man, 
woman, and person. 

Past. If you mean this week write it so, rather than 
during the past week. 

Per. A Latin preposition meaning through, by means 
of, by, etc. Use it before Latin nouns; e. g. per annum, 
per diem; before English nouns use a as, a day, a toeek, 
a month. 

Perform. Miss Codfish performs on the piano; the 
true musician plays the piano. 

Portion. A portion is properly a share, a division 
assigned, or set aside for a particular purpose. 

Possess. Do not use when have is meant. 

Practical Benefit. Practical is redundant. 

Present. Write this iveek, this month, etc., rather 
than the vresent iceek, the present month, etc. 



36 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

Preventive. Often written preventative. 

Previous. A bombastic substitute for before. 

Proceed. A shorter word is go, and usually conveys 
the meaning better. 

Procure. A longer word than get. 

Propose. Means to make an offer. Often confounded 
with purpose, which means to intend. 

Proposition. Used frequently when proposal would 
be better. 

Purchase. A shorter and more forcible word is buy. 

Quite. Never use this word in the sense of wholly, 
and avoid a very common error. There is little author- 
ity for using it as a synonym for rather. 

Receive. A person may receive a thing from, but 
never of another. 

Recuperate. Means torecover. The use of the shorter 
word is preferable. 

Reliable. The best authorities reject it as being 
" an abominable word." It is better to be on the safe 
side and use trustworthy. 

Replace. Is defined " to restore to its place," and is 
often wrongly used for displace, supersede, take the place 
of, supply the place of and succeed. 

Repudiate. Frequently used for reject or disown. 

Reside. A lofty word for live. 

Section. Is derived from a Latin word meaning " to 
cut off," therefore, it implies a definite division. In this 
section of the country should be in this part of the coun- 
try. Often misused for region. 

Since. Do not use this word for ago. 

Social. Useless when coupled with dance and simi- 
lar words. In the phrase a social dance it is superfluous. 

Species. The Anglo-Saxon word kind is shorter, 
and therefore better in many cases. 

Splendid. Used to express great excellence is 
coarse. Literally it means shining. 



WRITING FOR THE PRESS. 37 

Standpoint. Use point of view. It is rejected 
by the best authorities. 

State. Means to make known specifically ', to explain 
particularly. Discriminate always between state and 

sa V; 

Stop. It is incorrect to say that so and so is " stop- 
ping at Smith's." Frequently misused for stay. 

Subsequent. Often written and spoken as a sub- 
stitute for the simple word after. When so used the 
sentence is stilted and grossly injured. 

Suicide. Must not be used as a verb. 

Sufficient. A long substitute for enough, which is 
the plain Anglo-Saxon of the same meaning. 

Suspect. A man can not be suspected of being in 
his natural condition. He may be suspected of being 
insane, but you may doubt his sanity. 

Testimony. Testimony is oral evidence. Proof is 
the effect of evidence. 

There. Often uselessly coupled with are as in — 
" There are many who drink tea;" a briefer sentence is 
to say " Many drink tea." 

Those Kind. Is as ungrammatical as those sort. 
Say this or that kind. 

To. Implies motion. " I was down to the river " 
is incorrect ; should be " I went down to the river." 

Transpire. Properly used if leak out can be sub- 
stituted; improperly used if take place is intended. 

fJlt., Inst., Prox. Say last month, this month, next 
month. Use the terms as little as possible. 

Upon. Avoid using this word for on, as in the fol- 
lowing — -"I called upon him to speak." On is shorter. 

Veteran. "Old Veteran" is tautological. Leave 
out old. 

Veracious. A better word is truthful*, likewise 
truthfulness, than veracity. 

When. Is shorter and better than at the time that 



38 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

or at which time. Three words are superfluous in at the 
time token. 

Whence. It is as incorrect to say from whence as 
from hence. The word from is useless. 

Witness. A big word used by persons who do not 
wish to say see. 

Young. Useless in such phrases as a young boy ten 
years old. 

For an extended explanation of these words and 
phrases consult Webster's dictionary, Crabb's Synonyms, 
etc. 



WRITING FOR THE PRESS. 39 



CHAPTER V. 

QUESTIONS OF GRAMMAR. 

An eminent American author, in speaking of writing, 
said: " The best way is to give yourself no trouble at 
all about your grammar. Read the best authors, con- 
verse with the best speakers, and know what you mean 
to say, and you will speak and write good English, and 
may let grammar go to its own place." There is con- 
siderable truth in this suggestion, but the best speakers 
are seldom heard, and the works of the best authors are 
not always at hand. The best of us are often puzzled 
to know which is the best arrangement of words to use. 
A few of the common questions which come up are 
mentioned below. 

I. Pronouns. — The collective pronoun is used in the 
singular number if the thought of unity is meant, and 
in the plural, if the thought of plurality is to be con- 
veyed. The number of the verb is decided in the same 
manner; e. g., "The crowd approaches in a body and 
hurls itself at the doors;" "The crowd now scatter in 
every direction and curse as they move away;" "The 
Post will attend the funeral and it will march to the 
cemetery." It is safer, when in doubt, to use the 
singular. 

The relative pronoun should always be placed as near 
as possible to its antecedent; e. g., "I met my cousin 
yesterday viho told me he was going to New York" 
should be, "Yesterday, I met my cousin who told me he 
was going to New York." 

Never write a personal pronoun without considering 
to what noun it will relate. In reports of trials, espe- 



40 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

cially, the careless use of pronouns is a great annoyance 
to city-editors. The repetition of a name is better than 
uncertainty as to the antecedent of a pronoun. Direct 
quotations frequently remove this difficulty. 

Who is applied to persons; whose may be applied to 
animals and inanimate things as well as to human 
beings — "The dogs whose barking," etc. 

Personal pronouns are, also, the source of much am- 
biguity and obscurity. To avoid these faults some 
other form of expression must be used, or, the noun must 
be repeated. 

The following story of Billy Williams, the comic actor, is a 
good illustration of the faulty use of pronouns. Williams is 
represented as narrating his experience while riding one of Mr. 
Hamblin's horses. 

"So down I goes to the stable with Tom Flynn, and told the 
man to put the saddle on him." 

"On Tom Flynn?" 

" No, on the horse. So, after talking with Tom Flynn awhile, 
I mounted him." 
> "What! mounted Tom Flynn?" 

"No! the horse; and then I shook hands with him and rode 
off." 

"Shook hands with the horse, Billy?" 

"No, with Tom Flynn; and then I rode off up the Bowery, 
and who should I meet but Tom Hamblin; so I got off and told 
a boy to hold him bv the head." 

"What! hold Hamblin by the head?" 

"No, the horse; and then we went and had a drink together." 

"What! you and the horse?" 

"No, me and Hamblin; and after that I mounted him again, 
and went out of town." 

"What! mounted Hamblin again?" 

"No, no, the horse; and when I got to Burnham who should 
be there but Tom Flynn — he'd rode out ahead of me; so I told 
the hostler to tie him up." 

"Tie Tom Flynn up?" 

"No, the horse; and then we had a drink together." 

"You and the horse?" 

"No, me and Tom Flynn — say, look here ! Every time I say 
horse, you say Hamblin, and every time I say Flynn, you say 
horse. I'll be hanged if I tell you any more about it." 



WRITING FOR THE PRESS. 41 

II. Verbs.— Should agree in number with its nom- 
inative, and not with its predicate; e. g., "Death is the 
wages of sin;" and "The wages of sin are death." 

After all forms of to be, use the same case as that 
which precedes it. "It was me," and "I know you to 
be he," are incorrect. 

Shall and Will. The use of shall and loill is a 
question much discussed. Probably no other two verbs 
in the English language have been so incessantly de- 
bated, yet the best authorities agree upon the subject. 
If the authorities and examples given below fail to make 
their proper use clear, five minutes spent with a text 
book on grammar will afford better satisfaction. 

Professor Whitney, of Tale College, says: 

" To denote simply something that is going to take 
place, we ordinarily use shall in the first person and will 
in the others. To use shall in the second and third per- 
son implies rather a promise, thus, < he shall go, rely 
upon me for that,' and when emphatic a determination 
on the part of the speaker." 

Richard Grant White, another good authority, in his 
work on "The Right Use of Words," says: 

"In announcing future action, we say I or we shall; 
you, he or they toill; and in declaring purpose on our 
part or on the part of another obligation or inevitable 
action which we mean to control, we say jTor we will, 
you, he, or they shall" 

Mathews, on "Words, Their Use and Abuse," makes 
the following distinction : 

"When the simple idea of future occurrence is ex- 
pressed, we use shall in the first person and will in the 
second and third." But " when the idea of compulsion 
or necessity is to be conveyed, a futurity connected with 
the will of the speaker, will must be employed in the 
first person and shall in the second and third." 

Swinton, in his " Grammar," says: 



42 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

" In the second and third person the speaker asserts 
his will when he u^es shall, and waives his will when 
he uses will" 

Townsend, in his " Art of Speech," makes the follow- 
ing statement: 

" Shall in the second and third person expresses a 
promise, or a trust, as: ' He shall be punished for this.' 
I threaten, or promise to punish for this offense." 

From " Vulgarisms and Other Errors of Speech:" 

" So long as the speaker, either as the agent or the 
master of another, possesses the power to control, he 
can say I will, you shall, he shall. When he is neither 
the agent nor the master of another agent [viz., the 
c circumstance ' in the case], he must sav you will, he 
will? 

In brief, the forms Ishallj you will and he will merely 
express that which will take place ; Iioill, you shall and 
he shall express determination on the part of the speaker. 
In the first person, will signifies a promise. 

Would follows will and should, shall. 

III. Adverbs. — Should be placed as near as possible 
to the words they modify. Thus in the following — " It 
rather modified the structure of our sentences than the 
elements of our vocabulary," rather should follow sen- 
tences. 

Rather, only, neither and alike, are often misplaced. 

IV. Adjectives. — Many writers and speakers are 
very careless in the use of the degrees of adjectives. 
When two things are compared, use the comparative 
form; e. g. " He is the taller of the two men." Use 
the superlative degree when three, or more, things are 
compared; e. g., " Of the three men, he is the tallest." 

If you mean to describe appearance or quality use an 
adjective; e. g., "She looks pretty," etc. When you 
wish to express manner, use the adverb. Briefly, verbs 
of doing take the adverb; verbs of being and seeming 



WRITING FOR THE PRESS. 43 

take the adjective; e. g., "He walks sloioly, her voice 
sounds harsh, he talks sorrowfully, his breath smells 
bad, its fur feels rough, and she acts strangely" 

V. Prepositions.— [n the use of prepositions fre- 
quent errors are made. The list given below embraces 
those used after certain words and which are commonly 
misused. 

Acquit of. — Formerly Exception to, at, or 

from. against.— Not/rom. 

Advantage of over.— Inure to.— Not in. 

Not above. Xeed of.— Not for. 

Against.— We contend Peculiar to.— Not from. 

against difficulties not Prejudice against. — 

toith them. Not to nor for. 

Bump against. — Not Pursuance of. — Not 

on. with nor to. 

Collide with. — Not Rely on, upon. — Not 

against. in. 

Contrary to.— Not from Resemblance to.— Not 

nor than. with. 

Differ from.— We dif- Similar to.— Not with. 

f er from not with. Trust in, to.— Not on. 

VI. Errors of Arrangement.— Laughable errors 
are often seen in print which occur because of the faulty 
arrangement of words. An excellent method of de- 
tecting misplaced words is to read your manuscript 
slowly in an audible tone. Some of the following illus- 
trations have been taken from newspapers. The ital- 
icized words are misplaced. 

" I saw a man talking to the Rev. Mr. B , who was 

so drunk he could hardly stand" 

" An unquestioned man of character." 

" The surgeon began the amputation after the 
wounded man had been placed on a bed with a knife." 

Belmont, Ga. ? boasts of a woman " who goes out and 
chops wood with her husband." We suppose the hus- 
band must be hatchet-faced. — New Haven News. 



44 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

" A little girl was struck by some cars that were being 
switched in the yard and crushed" — Buffalo Express. 

A Maryland paper related that a few days ago a lady 
and gentleman caught fire from a brick in a buggy that 
was heated for the lady's comfort while on the way 
from Leonardtown. 

" I saw an old woman darning stockings with a Roman 
nose" 

Obscurity is often produced by the incorrect position 
of the adverbs and adverbial clauses. On this subject 
Blair makes the following remarks: 

" In regard to such adverbs as only, wholly, at least, 
' the fact is that in common discourse, the tone and em- 
phasis we use in pronouncing them generally serves to 
show their reference, and to make the meaning clear; 
and hence we acquire a habit of throwing them in loosely 
in the course of a period. But, in writing, where a man 
speaks to the eye, and not to the ear, he ought to be 
more accurate; and so to connect these adverbs with the 
words which they qualify, as to put his meaning out of 
doubt, upon the first inspection." 

VII.— Words With Puzzling Plurals. Words 
adopted from foreign languages usually retain their 
plurals in English. No certain rule can be given, but 
the following methods will be of some assistance: 

The ending a is changed to m or ata; us to tj um, or 
on, to a; is to es or ides and x or ex is changed to ces or 
ices. 

Letters, figures and similar characters are made plural 
by adding J s. Ex. — a's, t's; 5's, 9's. 

VIII.— Rules for Spelling. 1. Words ending 
in e drop this letter when able is affixed, e. g. move, 
movable; the endings ce and ge, are exceptions, e. g., 
change, changeable, etc. 

2. Words of one syllable, ending in a consonant 
having a single vowel before it, double the consonant; 



WRITING FOR THE PRESS. 45 

as trim, trimming, etc. If a double vowel precedes the 
consonant, the derivative is not doubled, e. g. troop, 
trooper, etc. 

3. Words of more than one syllable ending in a con- 
sonant, preceded by single vowel, having last syllable 
accented, double the consonant, e. g., permit, permitted. 
Exception — chagrin. 

4. The words foretell, fulfill, distill, instill and willful, 
retain the 11 of their primitives. The 11 is retained in 
derivatives when the accent falls upon these words, e. g., 
dullness, willfid, skillful, etc. 

5. Words of more than one syllable ending in I have 
but one I at the close, e. g., faithful, rightful, etc. When 
the accent falls on the last syllable, the I is doubled, e. 
g., befall, etc. Words ending in I double the letter for 

l y- 

6. All verbs ending in ly, and nouns ending in ment, 
keep the e of their primitives, e. g., terse, tersely; con- 
fine, confinement, etc. The exceptions are words ending 
in dge, e. g., acknowledge, acknoioledgement, etc. 

7. The participles of verbs ending in e drop this let- 
ter, e. g., have, having, save, saving, etc. Those ending 
in ee retain both, e. g., see, seeing, etc. 

8. Nouns ending in y, with a vowel before this let- 
ter, form their plural by adding s, e. g., money, moneys, 
etc.; if y is preceded by a consonant, it is changed to 
ies, e. g., beauty, beauties, etc. 



46 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 



CHAPTER VI. 

NEWSPAPER ENGLISH. 

When the enormous amount of reading matter, daily 
given to the public, is considered, it is not strange that 
it is not of a high literary character. Editors and re- 
porters have not time to correct and polish their sen- 
tences as other writers have, and are not usually held 
to a strict personal account for accuracy of style and 
diction. 

I. Editorials. — In all newspapers a conspicuous 
portion of the space is reserved for editorial writing, in 
which the editors express their opinions on current 
topics. The style of composition suited for editorials 
is of a high order and admits of every excellence known 
to rhetoric. These columns of a paper are permeated 
with the personality of the editors, and their policy, 
knowledge and wisdom give it its power in influencing 
public opinion. 

One may be a first-class writer in certain departments 
of literature, and yet be totally unfitted for the respon- 
sible position of an editor. The requisites for success 
are many and comparatively few possess them. It is 
important that an editorial writer should have the abil- 
ity to rightly conceive himself as a public teacher. He 
must be not only a ready writer and a master of the 
graces and arts of the most finished rhetoric, but must 
have a specific knowledge of the entire range of sub- 
jects which come within the scope of his paper. He 
must be able to discuss facts and express opinions of 
them, assign causes and suggest remedies, explain, de- 
fend, condemn or commend, with force and ability. The 
degree and variety of talent required in editorial writ- 



WRITING FOR THE PRESS. 47 

ing, as a general thing, would prove far more remuner- 
ative in other fields of labor. 

" The best writer " Escott says, " of leading articles, 
both for the reader and the newspaper proprietor, is 
the man who has the least of literary habit and temper- 
ament, and who lives in the midst of the whirl of con- 
temporary existence. So long as he can write clearly 
and pointedly, it is not necessary or even desirable that 
he should be a student of books. Indeed, book knowl- 
edge, qua book knowledge, ought not to assert its 
presence in the leading article on the theme of the time. 
References to immortal works and quotations from them 
are blemishes rather than merits — purple patches on the 
texture of timeous commentary, whose presence reminds 
the reader of his ' Maunder' s Treasury ' or his catechism. 
In other words, the first quality which we look for in the 
leading article is the thought and manner of the man of 
the world; the last quality which we wish is that of 
priggishness — and for journalistic purposes priggishness 
may be defined as the display of knowledge in such a way 
as makes the reader feel that the writer is his superior." 

II. Reporting;. — The chief excellencies of style 
required in reporting are clearness, condensation and 
accuracy. 

People generally read the news presented in the 
columns of a daily paper in haste, and the meaning of 
every item should be so expressed that " he may run 
that readeth it." No one is in the mood to puzzle his 
brain over some mysterious sentence in his morning 
paper. A clear and plain statement of an occurrence is 
always best. Perhaps the most serious fault to be 
found among news writers is a propensity to use slang 
words and phrases. Slang is often humorous, but it is 
seldom wit. Clearness is secured by proper construction 
of sentences and the use of simple words expressive of 
the meaning intended to be conveyed, 



48 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

Failure in condensing is often a fault. Care should be 
taken not to suppress the particulars which give body 
and life to a statement of facts, as these particulars are 
just what is wanted by the reader. The condensation 
required refers to the number of words used in express- 
ing an item. A good reporter will express the item 
in half the number of words used by a novice, and the 
report will be clearer and more satisfactory in conse- 
quence of the pruning. Beginners will find it a safe 
rule, after having written a report, to go over it and 
strike out nearly one-half of the words. The useless 
words will be "that," "and," "very" and the like. 
Those who have not given this subject attention will 
be astonished at the skill of some reporters in conden- 
sation. 

Accuracy of language is essential to a well written 
report. Mistakes in accuracy may be attributed to in- 
appropriate words and faulty construction of sentences. 
A reporter, in relating the movements of a criminal, 
surprised his readers by the statement, that having bur- 
glarized a store "the thief took up the pavement, and 
disappeared!" Certainly a remarkable performance. 
The reader is referred to the chapters on "Style" and 
"Misused Words and Phrases." 

Ambitious flights of "fine writing" often mar what 
otherwise would be a well composed article. Short 
words are quickly written and invariably present their 
meaning to the mind better than those of several sylla- 
bles. There are many words and phrases much used 
by reporters which have become so hackneyed as to 
be condemned by the best writers. They have their 
appropriate place, but reporters will do well to avoid 
them. The following list contains a few of the more 
common ones: — 

"A female possessing more than ordinary attractions" 
for "a pretty woman." 



WRITING FOR THE PRESS. 49 

"An interesting assortment of the feathered creation" 
for "a fine lot of poultry." 

"They partook of refreshment" for "lunched." 

"A gentleman of rare mental attainments" for "a well 
educated man." 

"The juvenile portion of the community," for "the 
young people." 

"The weaker sex" for "woman." 

"The Bard of Avon" for "Shakespeare." 

"Peregrination" for "walk." 

"Available resources" for "income." 

"Vociferation" for "cry." 

"Conflagration" for "fire." 

"Emporium" for "store." 

"Location" for "place." 

"In dividual" for "person." 

"Attired"/or "clad." 

"Encomium" for "praise." 

"Residence" for "house." 

"Window draperies" for "curtains." 

"Monumental marble" t /br "tombstone." 

"Recently deceased" for "lately dead." 

"Objectionable language" for "swearing." 

The Deer Isle (Me.) Gazette tells about two men 
getting lost and concludes with the paragraph: "AVe 
understand they did not find their way home until chan- 
ticleer in the adjoining barnyard sent forth his greetings 
to the auroral dawn." — It is probable the reporter meant 
to tell his readers that the men did not find their way 
home until morning. 

The list could be lengthened to an incredible extent, 
but the foregoing illustrations are sufficient to show 
that long words and phrases should be avoided. 

" There is another objection," says A. Arthur Reade, 
" to be urged against 'fine writing,' the printers in their 
hurry are apt to misinterpret the reporter's meaning, 



50 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

and give a perfectly fresh and uhlooked for version of 
his report. It is to this mixture of fine writing on the 
part of the reporter, and hurry on the part of the 
printer that many of the mistakes that creep into the 
papers are to be attributed. One reporter, for instance, 
anxious to flatter a clergyman in his district, spoke of 
his 'cheery face beaming with satisfaction,' but must 
have been taken aback when he found it printed ' cherry 
face,' etc. Another reporter, thinking no doubt that it 
would be too commonplace to state that a newly married 
couple had started for the Continent to spend their 
honey-moon, announced this interesting event by the 
phrase < had gone to taste the sweets of their hymeneal 
union.' We can not say whether this ambitious flight 
of his proved as satisfactory as he had anticipated, 
seeing that the compositor read the expression as ' hy- 
meneal onion,' and so printed it. Many reporters seem 
to have a peculiar and quite erroneous notion of the 
duties they have to perform. Judging from the gush- 
ing nonsense which is often published, it would seem 
as if they felt themselves called upon to write romance 
or poetry, instead of chronicling simple facts and events 
that come to their knowledge. Were they to under- 
stand more clearly that this is all they are expected to 
do, and were to aim at writing their reports in a more 
matter-of-fact style, a great improvement would be 
effected. The simpler the language employed, the 
more easily is the report read, and the greater the 
pleasure experienced. It is not a mark of good, or 
clever, writing to use grandiose expressions, but rather 
the contrary. That this gushing style is affected most 
by persons w r ho have an imperfect knowledge of the 
language, is seen from the continual use of mixed meta- 
phors and false quotations that appear in their reports." 
III. Miscellaneous Matter.— The space outside of 
the editorials and news items (excepting advertisements^) 



WRITIXG FOR THE PRESS. 51 

is filled with matter exceedingly varied in character. 
Contributors can not do better than study the class of 
articles which a journal accepts, before writing for its 
columns. Articles of information upon any topic, 
especially if well written, are acceptable to newspapers. 
In choice of subjects sketches, essays, bright short 
stories, discussions of topics of the day and matters of 
general interest, are required. Their style and compo- 
sition, of course, should depend upon the character of 
the paper, or magazine, for which they are written, 
Careful observance of the rules and suggestions of the 
preceding chapters will enable almost any one to properly 
construct subject matter. 



52 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 



CHAPTER VII. 

HOW TO PREPARE MANUSCRIPT. 

The proper preparation of manuscript is a matter of 
great importance. Thousands of good articles are un- 
available for the reason that they are presented in bad 
form and, perhaps, many which are poorly composed 
find their way to the compositor because they are care- 
fully prepared. Those who follow the rules given below 
will not violate the time-honored customs of printing 
offices. 

I. Use unsized paper about six by nine inches. 
Put your name and address upon the upper right hand 
corner of the first page. 

II. Never write on both sides of the paper. 

The reason for this is, that it is much more con- 
venient to the compositor to have it written on one side 
only, as few articles of any length are given to one man 
to set entirely. When " copy " goes to the printing 
office it is cut into comparatively small pieces called 
" takes," in order that it may the sooner be put in type 
and got ready for the press. It will readily be seen 
that if a sheet of manuscript written on both sides were 
cut into four pieces, duly numbered, whatever might be 
written on the back side of the sheet could not be made 
available for putting into type until the first page had 
been set, and even then only after a good deal of trouble. 
And as for re-writing anything of this kind in the edi- 
torial room, it is not once to be thought of, much less 
done. Howsoever meritorious an article may be there- 
fore, its destiny is sealed, so far as its publication is con- 
cerned, by being written on both sides of a sheet. 

III. Leave a margin of half an inch at the top and 



WRITING FOR THE PRESS. 53 

bottom of the page. In the composing-room the pages 
are often pasted together for the convenience of the 
compositors. 

IV. Write legibly with lines about three-quarters 
of an inch apart. This leaves room for editorial inter- 
lineations, etc. By writing illegibly you injure editors, 
compositors, proof-readers, and frequently yourself. 

V. Be careful to write and spell proper names cor- 
rectly, otherwise you will cause great annoyance. Be 
especially careful to form the capitals Zand </, and the 
small letters n, a and v properly; and to write unusual 
and foreign words so that they cannot be mistaken. 

VI. Write your own head-lines whenever you have 
time, except in telegraphed matter. If you do not write 
them leave space enough for them. Note the number 
of words in the different kind of head-lines and model 
yours likewise. 

VII. Study the "make-up" of the paper for which 
you write. Mark the styles of types used; position of 
dates; how letters are addressed to the editor; use of 
"sub heads" and "cross lines;" style of punctuation, ab- 
breviation and capitalization; the particular forms used 
for summaries of sporting matters and always follow 
them; and all other points on which uniformity is pre- 
ferable. 

VIII. Make frequent paragraphs by putting the 
paragraph mark, *j[, before each one " Copy " presents a 
better appearance and is easier read when the para- 
graphs are begun at least an inch from the edge. In 
some offices the compositors never make a paragraph 
where one is not marked. When the last word on a 
page does not end a paragraph, follow it by a large 
caret. While editing your own " copy," or that of others, 
paragraphs may be inserted at any place. 

IX. Read over what you have written before any 
one else sees it when ever you can, and when the mat- 



54 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

ter appears in print note the changes which have been 
made, that any errors of yours may never be repeated. 

X. Begin all sentences with a capital, and end them 
with a period, or a small cross. It is a good plan, for the 
sake of clearness, to accustom yourself to place a circle 
around periods. A little practice will enable you to do 
so involuntarily and so doing will save editors and com- 
positors much trouble. 

XI. Save time by writing the character & half en- 
closed by a circle. Curves or circles round abbrevia- 
tions indicate that they are to be spelled out, vice versa, 
a circle around a word means that it is to be abbreviated. 

XII. While editing " copy," if you wish to elide a 
letter draw an oblique line through it from right to left; 
if you wish to change a capital to a small letter, draw 
an oblique line through it from left to right; draw three 
lines under a small letter to have it printed a capital, 
two lines for small capitals and one line for italics. 

XIII. Avoid dividing words at the end of lines. 
When "copy" is cut into "takes" in the composing- 
room divided words frequently cause trouble. Make it 
a rule to begin on the next line if there is not space 
enough for the word on the one where you are writing. 

XIV. In striking out words be careful to have the 
remaining part of the sentence correct. If you regret 
a cancellation place "stet" (let it stand) on the margin 
of the sheet. When you have the time it is better to 
rewrite. 

XV. When you lengthen a page by pasting on 
additional " copy" fold the lower end forward upon the 
writing ; if it is folded backward it may be overlooked 
and cause trouble. 

XVI. When you are correcting proof, insert another 
word of the same size, if possible, in the place of that 
which you strike out. 

XVII. Write foot-notes immediatelv after the line 



WRITING FOR THE PRESS. 55 

of text which contains the reference mark, and do not 
place it at the bottom of the page. The foot-note will 
be placed in its proper position by the person who 
" makes up " the pages. 

XVIII. Date all matter sent by telegraph, messen- 
ger or mail. If it is intended for a certain day make a 
note of it on the envelope. 

XIX. Whenever you write under a date, use the 
words " to-day," " yesterday," " to-morrow," etc., in 
reference to the date. When no date is used, use the 
specified words in reference to the date of publication. 

XX. All matter in the nature of news should be in 
the hands of the editor as soon as possible. Time is 
precious in the office of a newspaper. 

XXI. Never put an editorial opinion into a news 
item. 

XXII. Never allow personal feeling to prejudice 
what you write. 

XXIII. Never write anything which you are not 
willing to own, nor anything you would not wish your 
mother or sister to read. 

XXIV. If you cannot speak well of a matter say 
as little as possible about it, unless the contrary is 
demanded for the public good. 

XXV. Never deviate from the truth. Be accurate 
and just. A false rumor, a piece of carelessness may 
ruin some one's life or reputation. A newspaper makes 
and unmakes reputations through its writers, and a great 
responsibility rests upon each reporter. " Honor and 
justice," says Robert Euce, on this subject, " demand the 
greatest care in the exercise of this, the most tremendous 
power of modern times." 

TAKING NOTES, ETC. 

It is not necessary to be able to write short-hand to 
become a good reporter. Some of the best reporters on 
the large daily papers take their notes in long-hand. 



56 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

As a rule such papers employ a prof essional stenographer 
whenever they wish a verbatim report. Short-hand writers, 
because of the very nature of their art, generally become 
purely mechanical and bring in too much matter which, 
even if rapidly transcribed, is condensed only after 
laborious effort. The value of short-hand to a reporter 
is well presented in the following clipping from Browne's 
Phonographic Monthly: — 

" Condensation being so much counted on, and fidelity 
to the idea, and not the exact language, being in the 
main all that is required of the reporter, a knowledge of 
short-hand is by no means essential to his success. As 
a matter of fact, among the metropolitan newspapers, 
which employ an aggregate of perhaps two hundred 
reporters, there will be found less than a dozen short-hand 
writers. Still, it is nevertheless true, that the thoroughly 
equipped newspaper reporter, who is armed for all 
emergencies ought to know short-hand. There are 
occasions when the reporter finds it desirable to 
get a man's exact language. There are occasions, 
rare indeed, when a knowledge of it is almost indis- 
pensable Like the artist with rules for per- 
spective, the reporter who writes short-hand must use 
his short-hand with discretion; and in this respect the 
phonographer, inexperienced in newspaper work, often 
blunders. He is sent to report a meeting of which, 
say, only a half column report is required. He returns 
with notes enough to fill three or four columns, and has 
to wade through them to get at the 'points.' In conse- 
quence, his ' copy ' gets in late and is cut all to pieces, 
and he finds that a long-hand reporter has a much better 
report than he next morning, because the long-hand man 
took fewer notes, and only such as he could use. It is 
a piteous spectacle to see a phonographer with notes 
sufficient for an almost verbatim report, and with space 
allowed him only for a fraction of that, bewilderingly 



WRITIXG FOB THE PRESS. 57 

threading the mazes of his notes, looking for the ' main 
points,' and the night editor increasing his confusion by 
adjuring him to ' hurry up.' If wise, when caught in 
such a plight, he will close his note-book, write his 
report from memory, and never again commit the blunder 
of taking too much. This is the great danger that the 
short-hand newspaper reporter has to guard against. 
The temptation to do so is great when he can follow the 
speaker with facility. The experienced newspaper 
phonographer avoids this error. When he is required 
to report but little, he takes few notes. Generally he 
writes a summary of the speeches in long-hand as they 
are delivered, ready to turn in his < copy ' when he gets 
to the office. When he catches a few sentences or 
phrases that he wants verbatim, he jots them down in 
short-hand, and transcribes them while the speaker is 
talking about something of minor importance. This is 
one of the advantages he has over the long-hand 
reporter." 

The requisites for good reporting are intelligence and, 
as an editor of the Chicago Tribune humorously put it, 
" a nose for news." The ability to write a condensed 
report of the noteworthy and pithy points of a speech, 
and to present only the striking features of an occurrence, 
is in demand. A good reporter should be well read in 
contemporary history and English literature. If he is 
well grounded in these things, and is able to write good 
English fluently, he can succeed at newspaper work 
provided he can properly appreciate the value of news. 



58 SUCCESSFUL WHITING. 



FICTION. 



CHAPTER I. 



American fiction has steadily improved in literary style 
and originality since our pioneer novelist, James Fenni- 
more Cooper, wrote his first book. On this side of the 
Atlantic the field for delineation of character, inci- 
dent and scenic description is limitless, and is the surest 
avenue to pecuniary success now open to writers. 

The labor given to three months reporting or miscel- 
laneous work on a newspaper would produce double or 
triple the remuneration, if spent upon a fresh, clever 
story. Reporters and newspaper men, because of their 
training and specific knowledge of people and events, 
are exceptionally well fitted for novel writing. The 
genius of Charles Dickens was developed through the 
channel of penny-a-line reporting. Experience in writing 
short stories for newspapers and magazines is of great 
benefit to those aspiring to write novels. 

The number of new books increases yearly, and the 
weekly average is now over eighty. Statistics show 
that four-fifths of the books taken from public libraries 
and nine -tenths of the number sold by publishers, are 
novels. During the hundred years, from the middle of 
the eighteenth century with Richardson and Fielding to 
the middle of the nineteenth century with Dickens and 
Eliot, the gamut of fictitious literature has ended with 
the novel of to-day, a growing power as an educator 
and entertainer, second only to the newspaper. 



FICTION. 59 

I. Definition.— Fiction, in literature, is that which 
is imagined or invented. Such works are commonly 
called novels or romances. 

II. Materials. — As a general thing the materials 
used in the composition of novels are the emotions of 
love, pride, avarice, jealousy, generosity, revenge and 
the like. The groundwork of novels has been the same 
since Richardson, the father of English fiction, gave to 
the world his novel, "Pamela." 

When the avalanche of printed matter which is 
thrown to the world in these days of steam presses and 
electrotypes, is considered, it is not strange that so 
many novels are unsuccessful, and that well written 
works are the exception. The novelist relies, almost 
wholly, upon the curiosity of the reader and this is 
secured by the skillful creation of a series of incidents 
and surprises, together with the delineation of char- 
acter. 

The true materials for the novelist are not in books, 
but in men, women and the incidents which daily occur 
in life. Dickens found them everywhere — in the streets, 
and tenements, in trains and omnibuses, in the country, 
and every place where he chanced to be. There is 
nothing too common to be used. The characters and 
incidents in the lives of lovers, misers, drunkards, 
coquettes, gamblers, soldiers, adventurers, wives and 
husbands have been handled again and again, but they 
have not been worn out. Thousands of new and pleas- 
ing combinations are yet to be made, and as long as 
novelists continue to write, these characters and inci- 
dents w T ill re-appear and win fresh praise. 

Observation of society and the natural world affords 
an inexhaustible field for the writer. Kingsley sur- 
prised the world by descriptions of the wonders to be 
seen by the sea and in ponds. This faculty, properly 
exercised, cannot fail to supply a mass of material from 



60 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

which the novelist may draw without fear of tiring 
his readers. The little things of life assume pleasing 
proportions when viewed through an artfully adjusted 
lens. 

One of the most common charges against men of let- 
ters is that of plagiarism, when there is no such thing 
as originality, pure and absolute, in literature. Exam- 
ine any work of fancy, and it will be seen that the 
author has, strictly speaking, created nothing new, but 
has only re-combined old materials, clothed them in 
fresh garments, or given new feathers to some well- 
known bird. Every novelist is but little more than a 
literary resurrectionist, and the most conscientious 
author's brain is filled with old materials which he 
brings to light and polishes up to serve as new matter. 
Voltaire laughed at the idea of originality and stoutly 
asserted that all writers borrowed from each other. 
" Thought," Emerson says, " is the property of him 
who can entertain it and of him who can adequately 
place it." Be this as it may, no one will deny that it is 
unjust to purloin an author's arrangement and sequence 
of words. 

Dramatic or forcible presentation, is closely connected 
with the selection of materials. A novel is like a play, 
and maybe divided into acts and scenes, situations, dia- 
logues and climaxes, separated by chapters instead of a 
drop curtain. 

All descriptions, incidents and conversation which do 
not advance the story should be strictly avoided. 

III. Style. — The manner of writing a novel should 
be carefully considered. The slow and obscure diction 
of the ordinary German novel does not please American 
readers. The French style is more in harmony with 
the temperament of the people on this side of the 
Atlantic and, in consequence, the French novel finds 
enormous sale in this country. 



FICTION. 61 

Business-like brevity and artistic beauty is the chief 
end of the style necessary for a popular novel. A style 
which lets in the light of the thought in the simplest 
and plainest manner is the best, although at times it 
should allow thoughts to come in with the same beauty 
of coloring which a ray of sunshine shows when it has 
passed through a painted window. In brief, style must 
be the incarnation of thought. All great novelists have 
recognized this truth and young writers are prone to 
ignore it. The sentences and phrases in a novel should 
be as carefully considered as those in a poem. A repu- 
tation of merit can not be made without attending to 
style, nor without much painstaking. 

De Quincey, who considered Keats a master of prose, 
in speaking of style, said, that an author should spend 
a third part of his life in studying his own language and 
cultivating its resources. " He should be willing," he 
added, " to pluck out his right eye, or circumnavigate 
the globe, if, by such sacrifice, and such exertion, he 
could attain to greater purity, precision, compass, or 
idiomatic energy of diction." 

The late Henry Ward Beecher was methodical in his 
reading for improvement. He said : " I read for three 
things; first, to know what the world has done in the 
last twenty-four hours, and is about to do to-day; sec- 
ond, for the knowledge which I especially want to use 
in my work; and thirdly, for what will bring my mind 
into a proper mood. Amongst the authors which I fre- 
quently read are De Tocqueville, Matthew Arnold, Mme. 
Guy on, and Thomas a Kempis. I gather my knowledge 
of current thought from books and periodicals and from 
conversation with men, from whom I get much that can 
not be learned in any other way. I am a very slow 
reader. I should urge reading history. My study of 
Milton has given me a conception of power and vigor 
which I otherwise should not have had. I got fluency 



62 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

out of Burke very largely, and I obtained the sense of 
adjectives out of Barrow, besides the sense of exhaust- 
iveness." 

Nathaniel Hawthorne, William M. Thackeray and 
George Eliot, among the modern novelists, may be 
cited as models of style. The romances of Walter 
Scott, also, are told in a manner which may be studied 
with the view for improvement. 

Pet phrases and hackneyed expressions should be 
rigidly suppressed. 

IV. Plot.— A plot is the plan, or outline, of a novel 
about which the characters and incidents are woven. 
Certain writers have recently advocated the doing 
away with plot and making delineation of character a 
substitute. A novel without the elements of either ad- 
venture or surprises in incident and situation, may be 
pleasant to read, but it will not find a resting place on 
the shelf beside Hawthorne's "Scarlet Letter," Eliot's 
"Silas Marner," Blackmore's "Lorna Doone," Payn's 
"Confidential Agent," and the novels of Walter Scott. 
The story is the plot. 

A well constructed plot will present, in the first chap- 
ters, something sufficiently exciting to create a desire 
to read the remainder of the story. All successful 
novels possess this characteristic. The mystery should 
be carried on to the conclusion, and the preceding 
pages should contain enough of pleasing incident to in- 
terest the reader. Such writers as Wilkie Collins, Wil- 
liam Black, Thomas Hardy, and Robert Louis Steven- 
son depend entirely upon plot and their success is envi- 
able. Hugh Conway's "Called Back," a most successful 
novel, is all plot with but little characterization. 

In commenting upon the productions of the writers 
who have recently sought to make the analytical novel 
a substitute for the plot novel, Maurice Thompson says: 

" The new school of novelists, at one extreme of which 



FICTION. 63 

stands Mr. Henry James, and at the other M. Zola, have 
repudiated invention, flung away plot, and have agreed 
to ignore out-door nature. The hero and heroine are to 
be abolished. It is enough, say they, for the novelist 
to depict actual life, and it is his duty to repress those 
aspirations towards the expression of the stronger, and 
nobler and wider currents w^hich flow just above real 
life in the realm of imagination. No writer dare attempt 
to depict a tragedy now-a-days, as Homer and 
Shakespeare and Scott did, for fear of being 
damned as a melo-dramatist or a sensationalist, 
even Dickens is passe and Dumas, Jils, a spent force. 
A trace of Thackeray is left, they say, and Balzac is not 
wholly forgotten; but Trollope, and Daudet, and Henry 
James, and Zola are, in different ways, the true forces 
that drive the currents of fiction to-day." 

He goes on to say that such may be very pleasing for 
those who like new things, but questions the artistic 
merit of such writings. He adds: 

" Fiction, no matter w T hether in the garb of prose or 
verse, gets its vitality not from the vogue of the hour, 
but from the unchangeable forces of life. No analysis 
of a mere ephemeral phase of social, national, or inter- 
national influence can permanently affect human thought 
or prove of lasting interest. If the novel is to be 
viewed as didactic, or as a mere time-serving tract, then 
high art is out of the question. And if the aim of the 
novelist is simply to amuse his readers, then whatever 
will please them constitutes the end of his art. It would 
be intolerable to be forced to accept the novels now 
most popular as the highest flower of fiction -making 
genius, and especially in view of the power admittedly 
exerted by novels in forming the thought, the aims, and 
the character of the reader. Neither the ' sweetness 
and light ' of the heavens above nor the racy power of 
the soil under us is in them. They lack that breeze 
from the Araby of genius which should inform them 



64 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

with the perfumes and pungencies and unique essential 
elements of genuine creations." 

V. Characters.— It is a rule with successful novel- 
ists to sketch their characters as clearly as possible, and 
this can be done only when the writer himself sees his 
characters in clear and distinct outline. From their 
first conception they should grow continuously and 
develop without mental effort. If they do not become 
clearer every day, they had better be cast aside as so 
much useless and burdensome material. The leading 
characters should take hold of a writer's attention with 
as much power as if they were real persons. It is a 
well-known fact, that a perfectly understood character 
will obtrude itself upon an author with as much individ- 
uality as if it were that of a friend. Minor characters 
do not require the personal delineation of leading char- 
acters, but should be well defined. 

The methods of characterization are many. An easy 
method is to mention a trick of speech or mannerism, 
but it can not be commended. To describe your 
character at length is tedious. The best way is to reveal 
character in dialogue and action. The highest art car- 
ries the reader along making him see, without telling 
him, the tones, expressions and gestures of the speak- 
ers. Beginning with an outline, the writer should grad- 
ually fill out the figure and present at last, a well 
rounded character. 

Dickens, probably, will never be surpassed in char- 
acterization. 

VI. Descriptions. — The ability to perfectly 
describe a person or scene is a rare talent. The works 
of Dickens contain master-pieces of the descriptive art. 

Personal descriptions should be short, while those of 
situations and scenery are better when presented more 
in detail. Harriet Prescott Spofford and "Charles 
Egbert Craddock" (Miss Murfree), excel in scenic 
description. 



FICTION. 65 



CHAPTER II. 

AUTHORS AT WORK. 



The idea that special gifts and a high order of talents 
are required for authorship, is erroneous. It is true, 
that a person can not be a successful writer, unless he 
possesses the ability to produce something of merit, yet, 
if he writes the story that is in him, the chances are 
that it will find a publisher. 

Paper and pencils are cheap, and with a well defined 
story in view, the labor of writing it is comparatively 
easy. Ordinary note paper is best for ". copy " of stories 
under five thousand words, but for book manuscripts, a 
larger size is preferred. The last copy should be writ- 
ten in ink. 

I. Method of Work A quiet, well lighted room 

and a large, square table are desirable. Write as rap- 
idly as possible, and when tired turn your attention to 
other matters. When you begin a manuscript finish, 
at least, its first draught. 

Writing is dreary labor if ideas are not mentally pre- 
arranged. Charles Lamb never sat at his desk waiting 
for thoughts to come to him. Victor Hugo often kept 
in mind a poem or romance for a year, when he would 
set to work and continue until he had it finished. Dr. 
Johnson advised rapid composition after outlining, and 
Southey advocated the writing of thoughts as they 
occurred, to be corrected at leisure. Macaulay sketched 
a general plan, with lines far apart, and then filled in 
sentence after sentence. When he thought no change 
could be made for the better, the matter was copied for 
the printer. Johnson adopted a similar method in 
writing the articles which made the Rambler famous. 



66 SUCCESSFUL WRITING* 

Bancroft, the historian, used paper in large, square 
sheets, of a color similar to a mixture of yellow and 
green. He wrote a little at a time, but that little freely, 
and had the outline of a page or chapter before his eyes 
before he began. Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett, the 
novelist, writes with a dull pencil on sheets of different 
sizes and texture, and usually pursues her work in the 
breakfast-room amid the prattle of her children. " Mark 
Twain's " study is a chaos of which manuscript is the 
chief matter. He is a great smoker. 

Henry James, Jr., corrects and revises his sentences 
until they are illegible to every one except himself. He 
holds to the idea that the mind is most inclined to steady 
work during night hours and believes, " that there are few 
really great thoughts, such as the world will not will- 
ingly let die, which have not been conceived under the 
quiet stars." It is said that " Ouida " works dressed in 
the style of the ladies of which she writes. George 
Eliot wrote descriptions while she walked about places 
she depicted. Her idea of the best time to write was 
before breakfast. Dickens tramped about in his room 
and dictated to a secretary. Thackeray wrote best in a 
railroad train, and Charlotte Bronte never felt like work- 
ing unless she was in her own little, dark room at home. 

A writer soon discovers his best hours for work, and 
during that time he should cover about the same number 
of pages each day. The most rapid progress will be made 
when the matter has been thoroughly considered. Hard 
work and average talent will accomplish more than 
genius. As a rule the literary aspirant who waits for 
the mood of divine afflatus will find that his genius is a 
sorry jade, and that well directed effort is the shortest 
path to success, 

A good size for book manuscript is eight and a half 
by eleven inches. 

II. Scrap Books. — Besides books of reference, an 



FICTION. 67 

author should have a number of common-place, or scrap 
books, in which should be methodically pasted every 
clipping likely to prove valuable in the future. They 
should be carefully indexed day by day, so that any 
subject may be found without trouble. 

Every kind of material should be selected. Extracts 
from books, police reports, traits of character, pithy 
sayings, descriptions, comments, opinions,. etc., together 
with reflections thereon, will afford, in the aggregate, a 
vast fund of information otherwise impossible to pro- 
cure. 

Charles Reade, the novelist, spent much of his time 
in making scrap books from which data the greater part 
of his novels was taken. 

III. Revision. — Excellence can be obtained only 
by careful revision. An inspection of Dickens' manu- 
scripts in the South Kensington Museum, reveals the 
fact that he was a careful writer and spared no pains in 
correcting sentences so as to render them effective. Sir 
Isaac Newton rewrote his " Chronology " fifteen times. 
De Quincy revised some portions of his " Confessions 
of an Opium Eater " sixty times. Gibbon went over 
his memoir nine times, and spent twenty -three years on 
his history of the Roman Empire. It is nonsense to 
presume that a manuscript can be dashed off, and be 
free from defects. Pope kept his manuscripts a year or 
two before sending them to his publisher. Macaulay 
worked nineteen days on thirty pages, and ended with 
dissatisfaction at the result. Balzac, the great French 
novelist, frequently devoted a week to a page, and 
seemed ever ready to make an alteration. 

After finishing the first draught of a story, or novel, 
it is a good plan to read a well-written book of similar 
construction, and then go through the manuscript, mak- 
ing whatever changes that may be suggested. Having 
done this, lay it aside and allow it to be forgotten. 



68 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

When several weeks have passed (the more time the bet- 
ter), read it critically and rewrite. Be in no hurry to send 
the manuscript to a publisher, but read it aloud to a 
person competent to criticise and suggest changes. The 
ear will detect errors which escape the eye. 

Amateur authors would do well to secure assistance 
in the revision of their productions. The cost of such 
services is comparatively little when the character of 
the labor and the critical ability required in it, are con- 
sidered. It is useless to trouble editors and eminent 
authors for advice. Oliver Wendell Holmes said : 
"What business have young scribblers to send me their 
verses and ask my opinion of the stuff ? They have no 
more right to ask me than they have to stop me on the 
street, run out their tongues, and ask what is the matter 
with their stomachs, and what they shall take as a 
remedy." 

If an author is satisfied that he has finished a manu- 
script and desires an opinion upon its merits before 
seeking a publisher, let him apply to a professional 
reviewer. He will gain not only much valuable informa- 
tion in the way of an opinion, but will often secure a 
suitable publisher. 



FICTION. 69 



CHAPTER III. 

AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS. 

When a writer has completed his manuscript, the 
next thing to do is to find a publisher. Publishers are 
shrewd and practical business men who are always 
ready to pay well for good work. # Most of them rely 
upon men of literary standing to examine and pass 
judgment upon manuscripts. These men are in a posi- 
tion to contrast a manuscript with hundreds of kindred 
books already published, and to correctly estimate its 
value. 

If excellent work is submitted to a good publisher, it 
is certain to be accepted and paid for at the market 
price. If a manuscript is declined, it is because the 
matter is defective or, if good, that it is not of the class 
desired. First work invariably contains errors which 
prevent acceptance, but its rejection does not determine 
the writer's future. If a novelist fails at first, it is 
plain that he has erred in something. 

The fact thatmany good works have been declined by 
publishers has given rise to the prevalent belief that 
authors are frequently slighted, but, as a rule, pub- 
lishers are men of sound judgment. They know the 
demands of the public better than inexperienced writ- 
ers, and it is unreasonable to expect them to publish that 
which, in their judgment, will prove unprofitable. It 
is well known that Colburn refused Thackeray's cc Vanity 
Fair" and that Blackwood declined to publish "The 
Great Hoggarty Diamond," but their value has since 
been determined. Thomas Hood's famous "Song of 
the Shirt" was declined by three or four of the leading 
London Journals, "The Tales of Village Life," by Miss 



70 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

Mitford, was rejected by the New Monthly Magazine 
and Bret Harte's "Luck of Roaring Camp" was returned 
by several editors. Other cases could be cited where 
first-class work has suffered likewise, but their number 
is very small when compared with that of works ac- 
cepted at first sight. 

Miss Murfree never had a manuscript rejected. 

I. Terms with Publishers.— There are several 
methods for the disposition of manuscripts and each 
of them has certain advantages. 

The first, is to sell the manuscript and copyright for 
a stated sum. This method is generally the most 
satisfactory to the writer, as he is relieved from further 
connection with the manuscript and has its price in his 
pocket. 

Another method is to sell the copyright and to receive 
a certain percentage, or royalty, on the number of copies 
sold. The author is protected by sworn statements of 
the printer, binder, etc., so that he can easily relieve 
himself of any doubts as to his publisher's honesty. 
This percentage, or royalty, is usually about ten per 
cent, of the retail price of the book. 

Again, books are sometimes printed and bound at the 
expense of the author, and are sold by the publisher 
who receives a certain percentage, generally ten per 
cent, of the retail price. This arrangement is just the 
reverse of the second method mentioned. 

A fourth plan is a combination of the second and 
third methods, in which the author pays for the composi- 
tion and the electrotype plates, while the publisher bears 
the expense of the printing and binding, and the author 
receives a percentage of the retail price, usually twenty 
per cent. 

If a book catches public favor and has an immense 
sale, an author will make more money upon a royalty, 
than by selling his copyright, but the chances are seven 



FICTION. 



71 



to one that his book will not prove to be popular. 
A publisher's opinion of a work is greatly influenced by 
the literary standing of the author. Numerous instances 
are known where the work of great writers has been 
rejected when sent to publishers under an anonymous 
name. 

If. Authors' Earnings.— Fiction is by far the 
most profitable branch of literary work, but its rewards 
do not always take the form of a bank account. The 
amateur author stands little chance of earning a liveli- 
hood by his pen, for literature, as a profession, is un- 
profitable. In the book-making world publishers secure 
the lion's share of the profits, yet hundreds of writers 
gain competencies, and thousands make literature a 
most profitable avocation. 

It is said, by good authority, that Judge Tourgee has 
received over $70,000 for his "Fool's Errand." Victor 
Hugo realized $12,000 for " Ernani," and Thomas 
Moore, $1 5,500 from " Lalla Rookh." 

William Westall, the English novelist, says: "A very 
fair price, as things go, is $2,000 for the serial rights of 
a full length story. If a writer reaches the top of the 
tree and is as prolific as Miss Braddon he can make, if 
not a great fortune, at any rate a handsome income, 
by his pen. Miss Braddon, I should think, makes 
more money by fiction than any other writer of the 
day. Her fertility is prodigious. She obtains high 
prices for her serial rights. She has kept her copy- 
rights in her own hands, and her books are always 
selling. Novels that she wrote twenty or more years 
ago are still bringing grist to her mill, and if she 
were to stop writing to-morrow her fifty cent novels 
would continue to yield her a revenue for as many 
years to come. 

" I believe Miss Braddon gets about $5,000 for the 
serial rights of a new story, and as she writes something 



72 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

like two a year, or, at any rate, three in two years, her 
takings from this source alone must be considerable. 
There may be two or three other writers who command 
as high a price, but none who is equally popular and 
prolific. Whether her works will live is another ques- 
tion. I am speaking of the present." 

Willian Black makes about $40,000 a year from his 
books, F. Marion Crawford gets $5,000 for each of his 
productions and Edward Eggleston counts on about 
$6,000 as the return from each of his novels. Mrs. 
Burnett, at the age of 14, received $35, for two contri- 
butions to Godey's Magazine, and some of her later 
works have brought as much as Crawford's. W. D. 
Howell's success was the means of placing him upon 
the regular staff of Harper's Magazine at a salary of 
$10,000 a year. Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of 
" Uncle Tom's Cabin," a book which has had the greatest 
sale of all novels, should have received $100,000, but on 
account of a series of mischances the profits did not 
amount to more than $16,000. E. P. Roe's novels are 
popular and are realizing a handsome fortune. Mark 
Twain's " Innocents Abroad " brought him $16,000. 

The prices paid by periodicals vary and may be said 
to range from $10 to $20 a page. When a contributor 
is in demand he is well treated. Ordinary stories, such 
as appear in weekly papers, seldom bring their writers 
$500. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Send manuscripts^^, not rolled or folded. 

In letters concerning mss. always mention titles, and 
give author's address. 

Postage on mss. is two cents per ounce. Proof sheets 
with mss. one cent for each two ounces. 

Enclose postage to insure the return of mss. If heavy, 
send by express. 



FICTION. 73 



CHAPTER IV. 

LAW OF COPYRIGHTS. 

(Directions under the Revised Acts of Congress.) 

I. K printed copy of the title (besides the two copies 
to be deposited after publication) of the book, map, 
chart, dramatic or musical composition, engraving, cut, 
print, or photograph, or a description of the painting, 
drawing, chromo, statue, statuary, or model or design 
for a work of the fine arts, for which copyright is 
desired, must be sent by mail or otherwise, prepaid^ 
address 

LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS, 

Washington, D. C. 
This must be done before publication of the book or 
other article. 

The printed title required may be a copy of the title 
page of such publications as have title pages. In other 
cases, the title must be printed expressly for copyright 
entry, with name of claimant of copyright. The style 
of type is immaterial, and the print of a type-writer will 
be accepted. But a separate title is required for each 
entry, and each title must be printed on paper as large 
as commercial note. The title of a periodiccd must in- 
clude the date and number. 

II. The legal fee for recording each copyright claim 
is 50 cents, and for a cojyy of this record (or certificate 
of copyright) an additional fee of 50 cents is required. 
Certificates covering more than one entry are not issued. 

III. Within ten days after publication of each book 
or other article, two complete copies of the best edition 
issued must be sent, to perfect the copyright, with the 
address. 



\ 



74 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS, 

Washington, D. C. 
The postage must be prepaid, or else the publications 
inclosed in parcels covered by printed Penalty Labels, 
furnished by the Librarian, in which case they will come 
free by mail, without limit of weight, according to rul- 
ings of the Post Office Department. Without the 
deposit of copies above required the copyright is void, 
and a penalty of $25 is incurred. No copy is required 
to be deposited elsewhere. 

IV. No copyright is valid unless notice is given by 
inserting in every copy published, on the title page or 
the page following, if it be a book; or, if a map, chart, 
musical composition, print, cut, engraving, photograph, 
painting, drawing, chromo, statue, statuary, or model or 
design intended to be perfected as a work of the fine 
arts, by inscribing upon some portion thereof, or on the 
substance on which the same is mounted, the following 
words, viz: " Entered according to act of Congress, in 

the year , by , in the office of the Librarian of 

Congress, at Washington" or, at the option of the per- 
son entering the copyright, the words: Copyright, 18 — , 

by* . 

The law imposes a penalty of $100 upon any person 
who has not obtained copyright who shall insert the 
notice "Entered according to act of Congress" or " Copy- 
right" etc., or words of the same import, in or upon 
any book or other article. 

V. Any author may reserve the right to translate or 
dramatize his own work. In this case, notice should 
be given by printing the words "Right of translation 
reserved" or "All rights reserved" below the notice of 
copyright entry, and notifying the Librarian of Con- 
gress of such reservation, to be entered upon the 
record. 

Since the phrase All rights reserved refers exclusively 



FICTIOK. 75 

to the author's right to dramatize or to translate, it has 
no bearing upon any publications except original works, 
and will not be entered upon the record in other cases. 

VI. The original term of copyright runs for twenty- 
eight years. Within six months before the end of that 
time, the author or designer, or his widow or children, 
may secure a renewal for the further term of fourteen 
years, making forty-two years in all. Applications for 
renewal must be accompanied by explicit statement of 
ownership, in the case of the author, or of relationship, 
in the case of his heirs, and must state definitely the 
date and place of entry of the original copyright. 
Advertisement of renewal is to be made within two 
months of date of renewal certificate, in some news- 
paper, for four weeks. 

VII. The time within which any work entered for 
copyright may be issued from the press is not limited 
by any law or regulation, but depends upon the discre- 
tion of the proprietor. A copyright may be secured 
for a projected work as well as for a completed one. 
But the law provides for no caveat, or notice of inter- 
ference — only for actual entry of title. 

VIII. A copyright is assignable in law by any 
instrument of writing, but such assignment must be 
recorded in the office of the Librarian of Congress 
within sixty days from its date. The fee for this record 
and certificate is one dollar, and for a certified copy of 
any record of assignment one dollar. 

IX. A copy of the record (or duplicate certificate) 
of any copyright entry will be furnished, under seal, at 
the rate of fifty cents each. 

X. In the case of books published in more than one 
volume, or of periodicals published in numbers, or of 
engravings, photographs, or other articles published 
with variations, a copyright is to be entered for each 
volume or part of a book, or number of a periodical, or 



76 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

variety, as to style, title, or inscription, of any other 
article. But a book published serially in a periodical, 
under the same general title, requires only one entry. 
To complete the copyright on such a work, two copies of 
each serial part, as well as of the complete work (if pub- 
lished separately), must be deposited. 

XI. To secure a copyright for a painting, statue, or 
model or design intended to be perfected as a work of 
the fine arts, so as to prevent infringement by copying, 
engraving, or vending such design, a definite descrip- 
tion must accompany the application for copyright, 
and a photograph of the same, at least as large as " cab- 
inet size," should be mailed to the Librarian of Congress 
within ten days from the completion of the work or 
design. 

XII. Copyrights can not be granted upon Trade- 
marks, nor upon mere names of companies or articles, 
nor upon prints or Labels intended to be used with any 
article of manufacture. If protection for such names 
or labels is desired, application must be made to the 
Patent Office, where they are registered at a fee of $6 
for labels and $25 for trade-marks. 

XIII. Citizens or residents of the United States 
only are entitled to copyright. 

XIV. Every applicant for a copyright should state 
distinctly the full name and residence of the claimant, 
and whether the right is claimed as author, designer, 
or proprietor. No affidavit or formal application is 
required. 






SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS. 77 



SPECIAL LIST 



English Synonyms and Antonyms. 



A frequent obstacle to literarians, speakers and stu- 
dents, is the inability to express the same meaning by 
different words. In order to assist writers and others, 
in preventing the blunder of tautology, or repetition, 
the following list has been specially prepared. 

The feature of having several synonyms on the same 
line with antonyms, or words of reverse meaning > will 
be appreciated by busy people. 



Abandon, forsake, leave, desert Keep, hold, pursue. 

Abhor, detest, hate, loathe Admire, enjoy, love, covet. 

Abide, dwell, stay, live Migrate, move, journey. 

Ability, power, skill, talent Weakness, incapacity. 

Abject, mean, low, vile Noble, worthy, exalted. 

Abode, dwelling, home, domicile Halt, perch, tent. 

Abound, abundant, plenteous Lack, scarce, few, dry. 

Above, over, beyond, exceeding Below, within. 

Abridge, lessen, contract, shorten Amplify, expand. 

Abrupt, sudden, curt Undulating, smooth, easy. 

Abscond, flee, bolt, decamp Show, emerge, remain. 

Absolute, positive, certain Imperfect, conditioned. 

Absurd, foolish, silly, ridiculous Sensible, wise. 

Abusive, harsh, insolent, rude Respectful, kind. 

Accident, chance, casualty, mishap Purpose, law. 

Accomplice, abettor, companion, ally Adversary, rival. 

Accomplish, finish, perform Fail of, baffle, frustrate. 



78 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

Accord, agree, grant, consent Disagree, differ, deny. 

Accurate, correct, actual, true Careless, defective. 

Accustom, familiarize, inure Estrange, wean, alienate. 

Acknowledge, confess, avow Disclaim, deny, disavow. 

Acquiesce, consent, agree Dissent, demur, object. 

Acquit, discharge, dismiss Accuse, charge, bind. 

Active, nimble, agile Slow, sluggish, heavy. 

Adhere, stick, hang, hold Disunite, part, sever. 

Adore, worship, praise Abhor, despise, execrate. 

Adorn, embellish, ornament Mar, spoil, deform. 

Adrift, afloat, loose Fast, lashed, tight, secure. 

Advance, proceed, progress Retard, hinder, withhold. 

Advantage, benefit, gain Loss, drawback, defeat. 

Adverse, contrary, against Favorable, amicable. 

Advise, counsel, urge Dissuade, defer, remonstrate. 

Affliction, distress, trial Blessing, pleasure, relief. 

Afford, yield, produce Retain, deny, withhold. 

Afraid, fearful, timid Fearless, indifferent, bold. 

Agony, pain, grief Comfort, rupture, joy, relief. 

Agree, concur, suit, accord Differ, protest, dissent. 

Aid, help, support Oppose, thwart, baffle, deter. 

Alacrity, cheerful-readiness Slowness, repugnance. 

Alarm, apprehension Confidence, security, quiet. 

Allude, hint, refer — —Specify, mention, state, declare. 

Allure, decoy, entice Alarm, terrify, scare, warn. 

Amazement, astonishment, surprise Composure. 

Ambiguous, doubtful, uncertain Obvious, plain, clear. 

Amiable, charming, friendly Hateful, churlish. 

Ample, spacious, abundant Narrow, insufficient, scant. 

Amusement, sport, recreation Toil, fatigue, labor. 

Angry, provoked, vexed Peaceful, forbearing, calm. 

Anguish, agony, distress Ease, pleasure, solace. 

Animation, buoyancy, liveliness Dullness, deadness. 

Animosity, enmity, hostility -Sympathy, friendship. 

Annoy, vex, tease, irritate Soothe, gratify, foster. 

Answer, reply, response Question, query, challenge. 



SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS. 79 

Antagonist, adversary, foe Aider, ally, accomplice., 

Anticipate, foresee, meet Remember, recollect, recall. 

Antipathy, aversion, dislike Sympathy, harmony. 

Anxiety, care, solicitude Apathy, ease, nonchalance. 

Aperture, opening, hole Closure, blank, blocking up. 

Apology, excuse, plea Imputation, offense, insult. 

Apparent, clear, evident Uncertain, inapparent. 

Applause, plaudit, encore Obloquy, condemnation. 

Appreciate, prize, value Misjudge, ignore, undervalue. 

Apprehension, fear, dread Assurance, confidence. 

Approbation, approval Protest, disavowal, refusal. 

Approve, commend, esteem Blame, censure, dislike. 

Arbitrary, exact, absolute Mild, lenient, obliging. 

Ardent, eager, fervent Cool, indifferent, apathetic. 

Arduous, difficult, hard Easy, trivial, easy, light. 

Arrange, place, class Derange, disturb, jumble. 

Arrogance, conceit, haughtiness Bashfulness. 

Artful, crafty, cunning Simple, artless, innocent. 

Artifice, cheat, trick Fairness, candor, simplicity. 

Ascribe, impute, attribute Deny, refuse, disconnect. 

Ask, demand, solicit Disclaim, waive, forego, claim. 

Aspect, air, mien Obverse, concealed, non-appearance. 

Asperity, harshness, sourness Mildness, softness. 

Asperse, calumniate, defame --Praise, defend, eulogize. 

Aspire, aim, desire Apathy, inertia, aversion. 

Assault, assail, attack Defense, resistance, repulsion. 

Assent, consent, agree Dissent, difference, protest. 

Asseverate, affirm, declare Deny, contradict. 

Assist, aid, help Hinder, resist, oppose, antagonize. 

Associate, partner, companion Rival, alien, foe. 

Assurance, confidence, impudence Distrust, timidity. 

Assure, promise, vouch Misinform, mislead, deceive. 

Asylum, refuge, retreat Exposure, pitfall, peril. 

Atrocious, cruel, flagrant Laudable, noble, admirable. 

Attain, acquire, gain, get— — Lose, abandon, fail, resign. 
Attempt, effort, endeavor Disregard, neglect, shun, 



80 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

Attentive, careful, heedful Neglectful, unmindful. 

Attitude, position, posture Evolution, movement. 

Attract, allure, draw Repel, estrange, alienate. 

Audacity, boldness, rash Timidity, cowardly, cautious. 

Augment, grow, increase Lessen, contract, reduce. 

Auspicious, favorable Abortive, hopeless. 

Authentic, genuine, true Spurious, false, untrue. 

Avarice, cupidity, greed Liberality, generosity. 

Aversion, dislike, antipathy Love, affection. 

Avidity, eagerness, greediness Coldness, antipathy. 

Avocation, recreation, pleasure Toil, work, labor. 

Avoid, elude, shun Seek, court, approach, affect. 

Avow, confess, acknowledge Oppose, contradict. 

Awake, arouse, excite Allay, pacify, compose, quiet. 

Awe, dread, fear Disrespect, fearlessness, contempt. 

Awkward, unhandy, clumsy Neat, clever, skillful. 

Babbling, loquacity, talkativeness Reticence, reserve. 

Bad, evil, wicked Right, virtuous, benevolent, good. 

Baffle, confuse, defeat Abet, enforce, promote, assist. 

Banter, ridicule, rally Discourse, adulate, compliment. 

Bare, naked, scanty Dressed, robed, draped, full. 

Bargain, trade, barter Loss, misprofit, waste. 

Base, low, mean, vile Lofty, refined, noble, honored. 

Bashful, diffident, modest Bold, impudent, forward. 

Basis, foundation, ground Superstructure, statement. 

Battle, combat, contest Peace, truce, arbitrament. 

Beam, gleam, ray- Shimmer, glitter, scintillate, flash. 

Bear, endure, support Drop, resign, resent, reject. 

Beau, gallant, sweetheart Stranger, misogamist. 

Beautiful, fine, handsome Ugly, coarse, hideous. 

Beautify, adorn, decorate Deform, denude, deface. 

Becoming, befitting, comely Unseemly, unsuitable. 

Beg, beseech, entreat, implore Exact, extort, require. 

Begin, commence, originate Complete, terminate. 

Beguile, amuse, deceive Guide, enlighten, undeceive. 

Behavior, demeanor, conduct Misdemeanor. 



SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS. 81 

Behold, observe, inspect Disregard, miss, overlook. 

Belief, conviction, opinion Dissent, rejection. 

Below, beneath, under Above, over, aloft. 

Bend, crook, alter Stiff, straight, continue. 

Bequeath, devise, give Withhold, transference. 

Bestow, confer, give Withdraw, reserve, appropriate. 

Bewail, bemoan, lament Exult, rejoice, welcome. 

Blame, censure, reproach Acquit, approve, exonerate. 

Blameless, innocent, pure Guilty, faulty, criminated. 

Bland, gentle, mild Harsh, abrupt, rough. 

Blemish, defect, fault Purity, unsulliedness, honor. 

Blunder, error, mistake Accuracy, success, exactness. 

Boasting, vaunting, pomp Reserve, reticent, modesty. 

Boisterous, vehement, violent Peaceful, calm, serene. 

Bold, audacious, intrepid Timid, fearful, shy, bashful. 

Bondage, imprisonment Freedom, independence. 

Border, brink, edge — Interior, centre, space, tract. 

Bound, limit, restrict Enlarge, extend, spread out. 

Bounty, generosity, liberty Closeness, stinginess. 

Brave, bold, courageous Cowardly, discourteous. 

Break, fracture, destroy Heal, conjoin, conserve. 

Brief, short, concise Long, protracted, extended. 

Bright, brilliant, shining Opaque, dull, dead, muddy. 

Broil, affray, quarrel Order, tranquillity, pacification. 

Bruise, crush, pound Conserve, conjoin, protect. 

Build, construct, erect — Derange, demolish, overthrow. 

Bulk, magnitude, size Smallness, littleness, tenuity. 

Burning, ardent, fiery Apathetic, cold, indifferent. 

Business, employment, vocation Recreation, leisure. 

Bustle, hurry, tumult Idleness, indolence, quiet. 

Buy, purchase, barter Sell, vend, hawk, retail. 

Cajole, coax, flatter, wheedle Chide, rate, scold, warn. 

Calamity, disaster, misfortune Blessing, God-send. 

Calculate, compute, estimate Guess, conjecture, stake. 

Calling, occupation, trade Avocation, amusement. 

Callous, hard, unfeeling- — Soft, easy, mild, tender. 



82 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

Calm, quiet, soothe Excite, ruffle, stir, agitate. 

Cancel, abolish, revoke Enforce, enact, confirm. 

Candid, artless, frank Unfair, insincere, reserved. 

Capacious, ample, spacious Narrow, contracted. 

Caprice, fancy, freak Purpose, conviction, seriousness. 

Captious, peevish, petulant Flattering, laudatory. 

Captivate, attract, charm Exorcise, disillusionize. 

Care, anxiety, concern Neglect, indifference. 

Careless, heedless, thoughtless Mindful, careful,wary. 

Carry, bear, convey Drop, refuse, reject, resist. 

Case, condition, situation Relation, dependence. 

Catch, capture, grasp Lose, miss, escape, lost. 

Cause, motive, origin, source Effect, consequence. 

Caution, care, warning Unguardedness, neglect. 

Celebrated, famous, renowned Obscure, unknown. 

Celerity, quickness, speed Slowness, tardiness. 

Censure, blame, reproach Praise, commendation. 

Ceremony, form, rite Formlessness, strangeness. 

Chance, accident^ opportunity Rule, sequence. 

Change, alteration, variety Retain, fix, conserve, hold. 

Changeable, fickle, variable Firm, inflexible, constant. 

Character, reputation Disrepute, anonymousness. 

Charge, accuse, commission Clear, free, discharge. 

Charm, captivate, delight Annoy, repel, disgust. 

Chastity, purity, modesty Sinfulness, impurity. 

Cheat, deception, fraud Truth, reality, verity, fact. 

Check, curb, impede Loosen, advance, encourage. 

Cheer, comfort, encourage Dejection, irritate, hinder. 

Cherish, foster, shelter Stifle, discard, abandon. 

Chew, masticate, eat Gorge, bolt whole, gulp. 

Chiefly, principally, mainly Partially, slightly. 

Choke, smother, stifle Educe, bruit, ventilate. 

Choice, option, selection Compulsion, necessity. 

Circumstance, instance, event Deed, case, transaction. 

Circumspect, cautious, wary Heedless, careless. 

Circumstantial, minute Positive, general, loose. 






SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS. 83 

Civil, courteous, polite Clownish, boorish. 

Claim, pretense, right— — Waive, disavow, disclaim. 

Clandestine, hidden, private Open, aboveboard. 

Clear, apparent, evident Dubious, turbid, indistinct. 

Clever, skillful, talented Weak, stupid, dull, slow. 

Climb, ascend, mount Drop, fall, tumble, slip. 

Cling, adhere, hold, hang Relax, recede, abandon. 

Close, compact, firm Wide, open, rarified, loose. 

Clumsy, awkward, uncouth-- — Skillful, expert, artistic. 

Coalition, alliance, union Disruption, dissociation. 

Coax, cajole, flatter — Intimidate, impel, coerce. 

Coherent, connected, consistent Rambling, illogical. 

Coincide, agree, concern Differ, protest, dissent. 

Cold, frigid, chilly Warm, ardent, impassioned. 

Color, hue, tinge, tint Achromatism, paleness. 

Combination, league, union Division, dissolution. 

Comfort, console, assuage- — Annoy, irritate, aggravate. 

Comic, droll, ludicrous Serious, grave, sad, sorrowful. 

Command, behest, order Supplicate, beg, entreat. 

Commend, praise, laud, extol — Blame, condemn. 

Commensurate, equal, adequate Unequal, insufficient. 

Comment, criticism, explanation Disregard, silence. 

Commodious, suitable, convenient Inconvenient. 

Commotion, disturbance, tumult Calm, tranquillity. 

Communicate, impart, disclose- — Suppress, conceal. 

Commune, fellowship, company Dismemberment. 

Compact, agreement, bond Understanding, promise. 

Compassion, pity, sympathy Cruelty, antipathy. 

Compel, necessitate, oblige Persuade, convince, coax. 

Compendious, s"hort, succinct Diffuse, cumbrous. 

Compensation, reward, pay Deprivation, damage. 

Competent, able, capable Unequal, incompetent. 

Competition, rivalry, emulation Association, alliance. 

Complete, finish, perfect Partial, unfinished. 

Complex, intricate, compound Plain, simple, direct. 

Compliment, praise, homage Insult, discourtesy. 



84 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

Comprehend, grasp, understand Misunderstand. 

Compress, press, condense Expand, dilate, diffuse. 

Compulsion, force, coercion Coaxing, alluring. 

Compunction, remorse, regret Satisfaction. 

Compute, count, estimate Conjecture, guess, surmise. 

Concede, grant, yield Refuse, deny, contest. 

Conceal, disguise, secrete Reveal, expose, exhibit. 

Conceit, fancy, pride Reality, verity, simplicity. 

Conception, imagination, idea Object, form, thing. 

Concern, business, care Indifference, disregard. 

Conciliate, reconcile, propitiate Estrange, displease. 

Condense, abbreviate, abridge Amplify, enlarge. 

Condescension, humility Pride, haughtiness. 

Conduce, lead, tend Counteract, defeat, neutralize. 

Confederate, accomplice, ally Rival, foe, adversary. 

Confess, avow, acknowledge Disaver, deny, suppress. 

Confide, rely, trust, believe Doubt, distrust. 

Confirm, establish, strengthen Cancel, repeal, annul. 

Confused, perplexed, mixed Unabashed, systematic. 

Confute, disprove, refute Prove, confirm, establish. 

Conjecture, surmise, think Computation, calculation. 

Connection, tie, intercourse Disjunction, dissociation. 

Conscious, aware, sensible Unaware, insensible. 

Consent, comply, agree Dissent, decline, refuse. 

Consequence, effect, result Cause, origin, premise. 

Consider, reflect, ponder Disregard, inattentive. 

Console, solace, comfort Annoy, trouble, aggravate. 

Conspicuous, high, eminent Invisible, microscopic. 

Constitute, appoint, compose Dissolve, disorganize. 

Consult, advise, confer Resolve, dictate, explain. 

Consume, absorb, destroy Reject, discard, supersede. 

Consummation, perfection, completion Neglect, undo. 

Contact, touch, junction Separation, isolation. 

Contain, embrace, include Exclude, extrude, drop. 

Contagious, infectious Sporadic, endemic, preventive. 

Contaminate, corrupt, pollute Purify, cleanse, clarify. 



SYNONYMS and antonyms. 85 

Contemplate, muse, meditate Ignore, overlook. 

Contemptible, paltry, mean Honorable, respectable. 

Contend, argue, strive — -Resign, concede, allow, waive. 

Contiguous, adjacent, close Remote, distant, separate. 

Continual, constant, incessant Irregular, variable. 

Contract, abbreviate, curtail Expand, dilate, elongate. 

Contradict, deny, dispute State, confirm, maintain. 

Contrary, adverse, opposite — —Agreeing, compatible. 

Contrition, penitence, remorse Reprobation, obduracy. 

Control, regulate, restrain License, free, neglect. 

Convene, convoke, assemble Disperse, dismiss. 

Convenient, adapted, suitable Awkward, useless. 

Conversation, talk, colloquy Speech, oration. 

Converse, speak, words Keep silent. 

Convey, bear, carry Bring, fetch, stow, deposit 

Conviction, persuasion, belief Doubt, misgiving. 

Copious, abundant, plentiful Scarce, scant, deficient. 

Cordial, hearty, sincere Cold, distant, ceremonious. 

Correct, amend, rectify Falsify, corrupt, garble. 

Corroborate, strengthen, fortify Weaken, shake. 

Costly, precious, valuable Valueless, cheap, worthless. 

Counsel, advice, consultation Misguidance, betrayal. 

Counteract, defeat, frustrate Aid, help, co-operate. 

Counterfeit, false, imitation Exposure, verity, fact. 

Courage, bravery, heroism Timidity, pusillanimity. 

Course, career, history Unsuccess, miscarriage. 

Courteous, affable, polite Rude, boorish, uncouth. 

Covenant, agreement, contract — -Promise, intimation. 

Coward, poltroon, craven Champion, hero, dare-devil. 

Craftly, artful, cunning Open, candid, frank, sincere. 

Crave, beg, implore, entreat Demand, insist, require. 

Cringe, crouch, bow, stoop Face, confront, defy, dare. 

Crisis, conjuncture, exigency Provision, preparation. 

Criticism, comment, examine — -Overlook, survey. 

Crooked, curved, bent Straight, linear, direct. 

Cross, petulant, fretful Amiable, good-humored. 



86 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

Cruel, barbarous, brutal Humane, merciful. 

Culpable, blamable, faulty Blameless, innocent. 

Cunning, duplicity, wily Unclesigning, artlessness. 

Cure, heal, restore Harm, hurt, wound, ulcerate. 

Curious, inquisitive, prying Indifferent, uninquiring. 

Curse, execration, malediction Blessing, benediction. 

Cursory, slight, superficial Searching, minute. 

Custom, fashion, practice Law, non-observance. 

Dampness, moisture, humidity Dry, parched, aridity. 

Dark, gloomy, obscure Fair, light, bright, luminous. 

Date, period, time Neverness, eternity, non-duration. 

Deadly, fatal, mortal Vital, healthful, wholesome. 

Dealing, trade, traffic Stagnation, lack, bankruptcy. 

Dearth, scarcity, want Plentiful, copious, ample. 

Debar, exclude, hinder Inclose, admit, permit, allow. 

Debilitate, enfeeble, weaken Strengthen, invigorate. 

Decay, decline, wane— —Grow, increase, enlarge. 

Declare affirm, assert Conceal, suppress, withhold. 

Decorate, adorn, embellish Mar, spoil, deface. 

Decoy, allure, entice Warn, guide, instruct, disabuse. 

Dedicate, consecrate, devote Desecrate, misconvert. 

Deduction, inference, conclusion Inception, initiation. 

Defame, slander, vilify Extol, laud, praise, panegyrize. 

Defect, blemish, fault Purity, intactness, perfection. 

Defer, delay, postpone Expedite, hasten, despatch. 

Defile, corrupt, pollute Purify, clarify, cleanse, lave. 

Definite, exact, limited Vague, confused, unspecified. 

Degrade, disgrace, lower Raise, honor, enhance. 

Degree, class, rank Space, mass, magnitude, numbers. 

Delicate, fine, tender Coarse, rough, harsh, rude, 

Delude, cheat, deceive Enlighten, advise, guide. 

Denote, betoken, imply Mislead, belie, misdeclare. 

Deprecate, decry, derogate Extol, laud, exaggerate. 

Derision, scorn, mockery Respect, regard, admiration. 

Describe, narrate, represent- Confound, mystify. 

Description, account Non-description, misnomer. 



SYX0XYMS AND ANTONYMS. 87 

Desperate, careless, hopeless Calm, cautious. 

Despicable, pitiful, vile Honorable, respectable. 

Destitute, bare, scanty— — Ample, bountiful, full, liberal. 

Detect, discover, find Miss, lose, ignore, misobserve. 

Detest, abhor, loathe, hate Desire, like, long for, love. 

Deviate, digress, wander Continue, progress, advance. 

Devout, holy, pious Irreligious, impious, profane. 

Dexterity, ability, aptness Incapacity, unreadiness. 

Difficulty, perplexity, trial Triviality, trifle, relief. 

Diffident, bashful, modest Forward, meretricious. 

Diligent, active, persevering Idle, inert, inattentive. 

Disaster, calamity, misfortune God-send, blessing. 

Disclose, divulge, reveal Cover, conceal, suppress. 

Discredit, disgrace, dishonor Praise, honor, merit. 

Disdain, contempt, scorn Respect, reverence. 

Disguise, conceal, dissemble Semblance, appearance. 

Disgust, aversion, dislike Liking, fondness, partiality. 

Dishonor, shame, obloquy Nobility, fame, esteem, 

Display, parade, show Hide, conceal, dissemble. 

Displease, offend, vex, annoy Delight, please. 

Distaste, aversion, disgust Congeniality, sympathy. 

Distracted, confused, disturbed— — United, composed. 

Disturb, annoy, trouble, worry Soothe, pacify, quiet. 

Doubt, hesitation, uncertainty Certainty 3 decision. 

Dreadful, awful, fearful Encouraging, assuring. 

Droop, fade, languish Revive, flourish, luxuriate. 

Dumb, mute, silent Clatter, tumult, uproar, noisy. 

Eager, ardent, earnest Indifferent, cold, trifling. 

Ease, facility, rest Trouble, difficulty, disquiet. 

Eccentric, odd, singular Regular, common, ordinary. 

Edifice, building, structure Ruin, heap, demolition. 

Elegant, beautiful, graceful Deformed, rude. 

Embarrass, perplex, puzzle Expedite, facilitate. 

Emblem, figure, symbol Disguise, blind, ruse, decoy. 

Embrace, clasp, hug, grasp Exclude, reject, except. 

Emotion, agitation, feeling Insensibility. 



88 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

Enchant, charm, fascinate Disgust, repel, horrify. 

Endeavor, trial, attempt Failure, misadventure. 

Endless, eternal, perpetual Brief, transient. 

Endurance, fortitude, patience Impatience, faintness. 

Energy, power, strength Indolence, sloth, weakness. 

Enmity, animosity, hatred — Friendship, affection, love. 

Enrapture, attract, charm Disgust, nauseate, horrify. 

Entangle, ensnare, entrap Unravel, free, extricate. 

Envy, jealousy, suspicion -Magnanimity, generousness. 

Error, blunder, fault Truth, accuracy, correctness. 

Esteem, respect, revere*, value Disregard, dislike. 

Ever, always, continual, forever Never. 

Evidence, proof, token, sign Surmise, refutation. 

Exact, demand, extort, insist Disclaim, waive, forego. 

Excellence," goodness, perfection Depravity, evil. 

Excite, arouse, irritate, kindle Soothe, pacify. 

Expedient, essential, necessary Detriment, inutility. 

Expert, adroit, clever, ready Clumsy, awkward. 

Extol, applaud, praise Blame, censure, reprove. 

Facetious, jocose, jocular Dull, grave, serious, sombre. 

Fair, clear, equitable, just— — Foul, unfair, fraudulent. 

Faith, belief, trust, creed Dissent, distrust, unbelief. 

Fanatic, enthusiast, bigot Skeptic, unbeliever, cynic. 

Fancy, caprice, conceit Fact, verity, truth, reality. 

Fascinate, bewitch, attract — -Disenchant, exorcise. 

Fatal, deadly, mortal Wholesome, vitalizing, harmless. 

Fearful, awful, dreadful Alluring, assuring. 

Feeble, infirm, weak -Strong, robust, active, effective. 

Fertile, abundant, fruitful Sterile, barren, fruitless. 

Fervor, ardor, zeal, warmth— —Apathy, indifference. 

Fiction, fabrication, invention Fact, truth, verity. 

First, earliest, primitive Last, subsequent, lowest. 

Fitted, adapted, suited Unsuited, unmatched. 

Flattery, adulation, sycophancy Obloquy, calumny. 

Fleeting, speedy, transitory Slow, sluggish, lingering. 

Flexible, yielding, pliant, lithe Rigid, stiff, inelastic. 



SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS. 89 

Fragile, brittle, frail, delicate Tough, stout, strong. 

Frailty, failing, weakness Strength, power, nerve. 

Free, liberate, rescue, loose Fettered, bound, held. 

Fright, alarm, terror, dread Confidence, boldness. 

Gay, cheerful, sprightly Melancholy, sad, grave, dull. 

Genius, ability, talent, skill Stupidity, imbecility. 

Genteel, polite, refined, elegant Rude, boorish. 

Gift, donation, present Reservation, refusal, purchase. 

Give, bestow, confer, grant Refuse, retain, deny. 

Glance, glimpse, look, wink Stare, contemplate, scan. 

Glitter, sparkle, glister Beam, Shine, gleam, glow. 

Grave, important, serious, sober Joyous, merry. 

Grieve, afflict, lament, pain Ease, console, rejoice. 

Guard, defend, protect, shield Betray, endanger. 

Guest, visitant, visitor Entertainer, host. 

Handsome, graceful, beautiful Uncomely, ill-looking. 

Happiness, bliss, felicity Misery, suffering, woe. 

Harass, distress, molest Comfort, solace, relieve. 

Harm, damage, hurt, wrong Benefit, boon, reparation. 

Hasty, angry, passionate, fiery Slow, thoughtful. 

Hateful, execrable, odious Lovable, enticing. 

Hazard, chance, venture, risk Safety, certainty. 

Hear, hearken, listen, heed Disregard, ignore, refuse. 

Hearty, cordial, sincere Reserved, cold, insincere. 

Help, aid, assist, succor Oppose, obstruct, frustrate. 

Hesitate, falter, pause, waver Decide, determine, run. 

Hidden, concealed, occult Open, exposed, seen. 

Hilarity, mirth, cheerfulness Despair, melancholy. 

Honesty, frankness, integrity Trickery, insincerity. 

Hostile, adverse, inimical Friendly, kindly, concord. 

Hostility, animosity, enmity Congeniality, kindness. 

Humble, modest, unpretending— Lofty, pretentious. 

Idea, conception, thought Object, subject, reality. 

Ideal, mental, fanciful, unreal Physical, visible, actual. 

Ignorant, illiterate, untaught Wise, well-informed. 

Ill, misfortune, sick, evil Well, healthy, blessing. 



90 SUCCESS FUL WRITING. 

Illusion, delusion, deception Body, substance, reality. 

Imagine, apprehend, conceive Represent, depict. 

Imitate, copy, mimic, portray Caricature, distort. 

Immaterial, unimportant, trifling Physical, essential. 

Impair, weaken, lessen Enhance, improve, augment. 

Impatient, eager, vehement Negative, inert, passive. 

Impeach, arraign, censure Acquit, absolve, abet. 

Impertinent, insolent, officious Appropriate, proper. 

Impudent, bold, impertinent Servile, deferential. 

Inactive, sluggish, lazy, heavy Brisk, nimble, lively. 

Incident, circumstance, event Cause, antecedent. 

Indicate, mark, show, specify Conceal, contradict. 

Indigence, need, poverty Wealthy, monied, affluence. 

Indignity, affront, outrage, insult Defence, homage. 

Inexorable, relentless, merciless Lenient, indulgent. 

Infamy, ignominy, disgrace Celebrity, honor, renown. 

Infatuation, fatuity, self-deception Sagacity, sanity. 

Inflame, kindle, excite, arouse Quench, allay, quiet. 

Ingenious, skillful, clever Unskillful, uninventive. 

Innocent, sinless, harmless, pure Faulty, corrupt. 

Innocuous, inoffensive, wholesome Obnoxious, foul. 

Irony, satire, sarcasm Compliment, seriousness. 

Jargon, lingo, patois, cant Speech, eloquence. 

Joke, jest, witticism, fun Earnest, seriousness. 

Joy, pleasure, delight, gaiety Sorrow, grief, misery. 

Justice, equity, right Wrong, partiality, unfairness. 

Keen, acute, sharp, cutting Blunt, dull, blind, obtuse. 

Kill, slay, murder, deaden Vivify, reanimate. 

Kin, race, kindred, family Strangership, inaffinity. 

Knave, rogue, cheat, rascal Gentleman, innocent. 

Labor, toil, work, task Ease, recreation, avocation. 

Laconic, brief, concise, curt Prolix, wordy, prosy. 

Lament, mourn, bemoan Welcome, hail, rejoice. 

Languid, faint, weary, spiritless Vigorous, active. 

Lascivious, lewd, wanton Pure, chaste, continent. 

Latent, hidden, secret, inherent Visible, apparent. 



SYNONYMS AND AUTONYMS. 91 

Laughable, funny, ludicrous Serious, grave, weighty. 

Lavish, wasteful, squander Husband, hoard, treasure. 

Learning, knowledge, erudition Ignorance, intuition. 

Legend, fable, fiction History, fact, actual knowledge. 

Lethargy, stupor, torpor Vigilance, alacrity, activity. 

Licentious, voluptuous, dissolute Temperate, strict. 

Lie, falsehood, fabrication Truth, fact, veracity. 

Life, vitality, existence, duration— Mortality, death. 

Linger, tarry, lag, wait Speed, haste, proceed, press. 

Liquid, fluid, flowing, watery Solid, congealed, hard. 

Little, diminutive, small, tiny Big, bulky, enormous. 

Lonely, dreary, forlorn, desolate Cheerful, animated. 

Look, see, behold, observe Overlook, misobserve. 

Lot, fate, doom, fortune— Law, provision, design. 

Love, affection, passion, devotion Hatred, dislike. 

Lover, wooer, suitor, sweetheart Husband.wif e, mate. 

Lovely, charming, pleasing, amiable Hateful, hideous. 

Low, depressed, base, abject Elevated, high minded. 

Lunatic, madman, maniac Solon, philosopher, genius. 

Lunacy, insanity, aberration, mania Sanity, reason. 

Lurid, murky, lowering Bright, luminous, splendid. 

Lurk, hide, skulk, lie Rise, show, emerge, flash. 

Luscious, sweet, delicious, sugary Sour, bitter, acrid. 

Lustre, brightness, brilliancy Darkness, obscuration. 

Luxurious, voluptuous, pleasurable Hard, painful. 

Luxury, effeminacy, wantonness Hardship, stoicism. 

Madness, frenzy, fury, rage Calmness, soberness. 

Magnificence, grand, splendid Paltry, little, tawdry. 

Marriage, matrimony, nuptuals Celibacy, virginity. 

Marvel, wonder, prodigy Farce, cipher, bagatelle. 

Massive, solid, huge, vast Slight, petty, frail, airy. 

Maudlin, intoxicated, mellow Sensible, sober, dry. 

Maxim, axiom, adage, rule Absurdity, paradox. 

Maximum, zenith, acme Minimum, commencement. 

Melody, harmony, music Discord, dissonance, noise. 

Melt, dissolve, fuse, flow Consolidate, crystallize. 



92 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

Memory, recollection, remembrance Forgetfulness. 

Merciless, cruel, pitiless Humane, forbearing. 

Mercy, lenity, compassion Exaction, harshness. 

Merry, joyous, mirthful Gloomy, dismal, disconsolate. 

Method, mode, system, process Disorder, empiricism. 

Mien, look, air, aspect Character, disposition, being. 

Mild, moderate, lenient Violent, wild, harsh, fierce. 

Miserly, avaricious, penurious Liberal, munificent. 

Mist, fog, obscurity Brightness, clearness, lucidity. 

Mistake, blunder, error Truth, accuracy, correctness. 

Mix, mingle, blend, confuse Separate, sift, classify. 

Moan, wail, lamentation, grief Hail, rejoice. 

Modern, new, recent, late Bygone, former, ancient. 

Moist, damp, humid, wet Arid, dry, parched, burnt. 

Molest, trouble, disturb Soothe, pacify, caress, pet. 

Monster, brute, fiend, demon Venus, Adonis, angel. 

Morose, gloomy, sullen, surly Genial, pleasant. 

Motive, cause, purpose, impulse Action, result, deed. 

Muse, reflect, meditate, think Stir, act, move. 

Mutilate, deface, injure, mar Restore, mend, repair. 

Mutual, reciprocal, common One-sided, unreciprocated. 

Mysterious, dark, hidden Clear, plain, obvious. 

Mystery, secret, enigma Solution, matter-of-fact. 

Myth, fable, legend Fact, history, narrative. 

Naked, exposed, uncovered, nude Dressed, robed. 

Narrow, confined, limited, scant Wide, broad, ample. 

Noisy, clamorous, loud, stunning Still, soft, subdued. 

Notion, conception, idea, belief Missapprehension. 

Nourish, cherish, nurture, foster Starve, blight, kill. 

Nuisance, annoyance, pest, plague Blessing, pleasure. 

Nutriment, food, sustenance Poison, detriment. 

Oblique, diagonal, angular Straight, rectilineal. 

Obscene, impure, indecent, lewd Pure, modest. 

Odd, peculiar, queer, quaint Usual, regular, normal. 

Odious, offensive, hateful Delectable, grateful. 

Odor, scent, perfume, fragrance Inodorous. 



SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS. 93 

Offend, displease, vex, nettle Conciliate, gratify. 

Offence, indignity, insult Defence, guiltlessness. 

Omen, sign, portent, augury Forefend, preclude. 

Onerous, burdensome, laborious Light, easy, trivial. 

Operation, action, performance Cessation, inaction. 

Opprobrium, disgrace, infamy Praise, popularity. 

Option, choice, election, wish Obligation, compulsion. 

Organize, arrange, constitute Break up, dismember. 

Ornate, decorated, embellished Plain, bare, bald. 

Oscillate, vibrate, swing Still, quiet, stationary. 

Pacify, calm, quiet, appease Exasperate, agitate. 

Paint, depict, portray Caricature, misportray. 

Pale, pallid, wan, white Ruddy, high-colored, rosy. 

Palpable, perceptible, plain Ethereal, invisible. 

Pang, paroxysm, throe, agony Pleasure, gratification. 

Panic, fright, terror, dread Confidence, reassurance. 

Parasite, flatterer, sycophant Detractor, traducer. 

Pardon, absolve, acquit, forgive Condemn, punish. 

Passion, anger, excitement, feeling Coolness, apathy. 

Passionate, excitable, fervent Deliberate, impassive. 

Passive, calm, resigned, patient Active, vehement. 

Pathetic, affection, touching- — Ludicrous, unaffecting. 

Patience, endurance, resignation Repining, rebellion. 

Pedantic, priggish, vain L T naffected, unassuming. 

Peevish, cross, fretful, petulant Good-natured. 

Penalty, punishment, retribution Reward, premium. 

Pensive, meditative, thoughtful Joyous, thoughtless. 

Penury, need, poverty, want Competence, affluence. 

Perceive, discern, distinguish Misobserve, overlook. 

Peril, danger, risk, hazard Security, certainty. 

Perpetual, constant, unceasing Inconstant, periodic. 

Perplex, confuse, puzzle Enlighten, simplify. 

Persuade, urge, exhort, allure Deter, indispose. 

Perverse, cross, wayward Complacent, governable. 

Pet, darling, idol, jewel Horror, bugbear, scarecrow. 

Petty, small, trifling, mean Large, magnificent. 



94 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

Pious, devout, religious, godly Profane, irreligious. 

Pique, malice, spite, rancor Welcome, satisfaction. 

Placid, calm, serene, quiet Troubled, ruffled, stormy. 

Plan, contrivance, device, scheme Execution, result. 

Pledge, promise, vow, warrant Abjure, protest. 

Plot, cabal, conspiracy, scheme Blunder, bungle. 

Poison, envenom, taint, pollute Purify, disinfect. 

Polite, civil, courteous, polished Uncouth, boorish. 

Pompous, lofty, inflated, showy Unpretending, plain. 

Ponder, muse, reflect, weigh Guess, coujecture. 

Portrait, picture, likeness Original. 

Postpone, defer, delay Expedite, despatch, accelerate. 

Prayer, entreaty, supplication Curse, execration. 

Precept, teaching, maxim, rule Suggestion, impulse. 

Precious, dear, valuable, costly Cheap, worthless. 

Precipice, chasm, steep, cliff Surface, depression. 

Precise, accurate, exact, nice Indefinite, inaccurate. 

Precocious, forward, premature Tardy, backward. 

Predestined, fore-ordained, fate Choice, freedom. 

Prejudice, bias, prejudgment Fairness, judgment. 

Pressing, urgent, important Slight, trivial, light. 

Pretend, affect, feign, offer Verify, unmask, refute. 

Prevent, hinder, impede, bar Promote, aid, facilitate. 

Pride, vanity, conceit, arrogance Meekness, humility.. 

Princely, royal, grand, superb Beggarly, niggardly: 

Probity, honesty, veracity, integrity Rascality, vice. 

Profane, impious, irreverent, godless Holy, sacred. 

Profess, declare, avow, confess Conceal, suppress. 

Profile, outline, tracing Substance, subject, bulk. 

Profuse, lavish, prodigal Scant, chary, sparing, poor. 

Promenade, walk, stroll Run, hasten, speed, course. 

Prostrate, fallen, lying, flat Risen, erect, upright. 

Protest, declare, affirm, aver Agree, sanction, endorse. 

Proud, arrogant, haughty, vain Deferential, humble. 

Proverb, adage, aphorism, dictum Essay, dissertation. 

Puerile, boyish, childish, youthful Manly, vigorous. 



SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS. 95 

Pulsate, throb, beat Regular, flowing, constant. 

Pungent, sharp, acrid, keen Soothing, luscious. 

Putrid, rotten, corrupt, foul Sound, pure, sweet, fresh. 

Puzzle, bewilder, entangle- — Enlighten, instruct. 

Quack, charlatan, pretender Dupe, gull, victim. 

Quaint, odd, whimsical, antique Ordinary, common. 

Quarrel, affray, dispute, brawl Pleasantry, harmony. 

Query, inquiry, question, interrogation Answer. 

Quick, active, brisk, swift, Slow, tardy, sluggish. 

Quiet, calm, ease, repose Unrest, motion, agitation. 

Quote, cite, adduce, name Disprove, refute, traverse. 

Quit, abandon, forsake, resign Seek, occupy, haunt. 

Rabble, crowd, riot, mob Elite, aristocracy, upper-ten. 

Rabid, furious, mad, raging Rational, reasonable. 

Radiance, brightness, brilliancy Dullness, darkness. 

Rage, anger, choler, fury Gentleness, tranquillity. 

Rapture, ecstacy, transport, bliss Agony, torture. 

Rare, excellent, uncommon Common, worthless. 

Raving, furious, delirious, frantic Calm, reasonable. 

Ready, apt, facile, prompt Hesitating, awkward, slow. 

Recant, abjure, recall, revoke Assert, maintain, hold. 

Recede, retire, retreat, return — —Approach, advance. 
Reckless, careless, heedless, rash — -Careful, heedful. 

Recline, lie, rest, repose Erect, raise, rise, stand. 

Recreation, amusement, sport Toil, work, fatigue. 

Reel, stagger, falter, totter Stand, steady, still, calm. 

Refer, relate, allude, apply Misapply, disconnect. 

Reflect, consider, ponder Divert, dream, disregard. 

Refrain, abstain, forbear, keep Indulge, venture. 

Refresh, renew, revive, restore — —Tire, oppress, weary. 

Refuge, shelter, asylum, covert Snare, pitfall. 

Refund, repay, restore, return Appropriate, misapply. 

Refuse, deny, reject, decline Grant, afford, concede, 

Regale, entertain, feast, gratify Starve, tantalize. 

Regard, esteem, respect, reverence Despise, dislike. 

Regret, grieve, repent, deplore Approve, welcome. 



96 SUCCESSFUL WAITING. 

Rehearse, repeat, recapitulate Misrelate, misdetail. 

Reject, decline, repel, refuse Accept, chose, select. 

Reliance, confidence, assurance Suspicion, misgiving. 

Relieve, aid, alleviate, assist Aggravate, enhance. 

Relish, enjoy, appreciate, like Nauseate, abominate. 

Remainder, remnant, residue Expenditure, loss, issue. 

Remark, observation, comment Misobserve,disregard. 

Remember, recall, recollect, mind Forget, overlook. 

Remiss, careless, heedless, slack Energetic, assiduous. 

Remit, abate, liberate, resign Increase, intensify. 

Remote, distant, far, foreign Near, close, related. 

Rend, tear, rip, split, rive Repair, unite, conserve. 

Renegade, vagabond, recreant Supporter, adherent. 

Renown, celebrity, fame, note Disgrace, meanness. 

Repartee, reply, retort, answer Ignore, drop, pass. 

Repent, repine, regret, grieve Rejoice, smile, joy. 

Repetition, iteration Irrelation, dissociation. 

Report, tell, account, rumor Silence, suppression. 

Repose, ease, quiet, rest Movement, unrest, tumult. 

Reproach, blame, censure, rebuke Laud, commend. 

Repugnance, antipathy, dislike— Sympathy, affinity. 

Request, ask, beg, beseech Command, order, dictate. 

Requisite,essential, necessary Superfluous, redundant. 

Requital, compensation, amends Insult, fault, offense. 

Resort, frequent, haunt, retire Shun, avoid, discard. 

Resource, resort, means, device End, purpose, object. 

Respire, breathe Perish, die, death. 

Respite, interval, reprieve Condemnation, reprisal. 

Response, answer, reply, retort Question, query. 

Restless, uneasy, discontented Motionless, quiet, still. 

Restrain, limit, repress, check Urge, excite, indulge. 

Result, consequence, effect, end Beginning, origin. 

Resuscitate, revive, reanimate Extinguish, quench. 

Retire, recede, withdraw, shrink Approach, advance. 

Retract, revoke, recall, renounce Reiterate, repeat. 

Retrieve, recover, regain, rescue Lose, abandon. 



SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS. 97 

Reveal, disclose, divulge, expose Hide, conceal, cloak. 

Revel, carouse, frolic, luxuriate Fast, abstain. 

Revenge, avenge, vindicate Pardon, condone. 

Revile, abuse, deride, asperse Flatter, compliment. 

Revolve, turn, whirl, rotate Motionless, still, steady. 

Ribald, low, obscene, coarse Refined, cultured, pure. 

Riches, opulence, affluence Poverty, indigence. 

Rifle, rob, plunder, pillage Skim, pass over, survey. 

Rigid, stiff, strict, severe Pliant, limber, flowing. 

Riot, tumult, disordei Orderliness, peace, quiesence. 

Risible, laughable, mirthful, absurd Grave, serious. 

Rite, ceremony, form, custom Obsoleteness, disuse. 

Roam, ramble, rove, saunter Hurry, hasten, speed. 

Robust, strong, healthy, lusty Puny, fragile, weakly. 

Rogue, knave, rascal, scamp Gentleman, honest man. 

Romantic, wild, fanciful, fictitious Literal, truthful. 

Ruffian, brute, villain See Rogue. 

Ruin, destroy, destruction—Prosperity, success, rise. 

Rumor, report, story, hearsay Evidence, proof. 

Sacred, divine, holy Unholy, unconsecrated, profane. 

Sad, dejected, melancholy, dismal — —Joyous, gay, glad. 

Sage, wise, discreet, savant Imbecile, illiterate. 

Sallow, wan, sickly, bloodless Fresh-colored, bright. 

Sapient, sagacious, sage, wise Foolish, undiscerning. 

Sarcasm, irony, satire, sardonicism Eulogy, eulogium. 

Satiate, clog, satisfy, gorge Stint, starve, famish. 

Scene, spectacle, exhibition, sight Dream, mockery. 

Scoff, jeer, jibe, sneer Compliment, salute, respect. 

Scruple, doubt, hesitation Confidence, assurance. 

Scrutinize, examine, search, inspect Discard, guess. 

Scurrilous, abusive, offensive Respectful, laudatory. 

Secrete, hide, conceal, cloak Expose, exhibit. 

Secular, temporal, worldly Regular, religious. 

Sedate, calm, composed, quiet — — Flighty, indiscreet. 
Seduce, allure, attract, decoy — —Force, overpower. 
Seethe, boil, effervesce, fume Calm, subside, cool. 



98 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

Seize, grasp, clasp, grapple Loose, unhand, abandon. 

Senile, aged, old, infirm Juvenile, virile, manly. 

Sense, feeling, judgment Non-conception, nonsense. 

Sensual, carnal, animal, lewd Abstract, spiritual. 

Sequel, consequence, result, event Cause, beginning. 

Serene, quiet, peaceful, clear Turbid, ruffled, stormy. 

Serious, sober, grave, solemn Volatile, thoughtless. 

Servile, fawning, slavish Independent, rebellious. 

Severe, austere, stern, grave Gay, smiling, mild. 

Shabby, worn, ragged, beggarly — -Fine, admirable. 

Shackle, fetter, chain, clog Free, expedite, liberate. 

Shade, shadow, obscure, cloud Illuminate, brighten. 

Shake, agitate, quake, tremble Secure, fix, fasten. 

Shape, mould, form, execute Distort, derange. 

Shine, corruscate, glisten, glow Fade, wane, glimmer. 

Shock, affright, appall, horrify Gratify, delight. 

Shocking, dreadful, revolting Pleasing, charming. 

Shrewd, acute, keen, astute Stolid, stupid, obtuse. 

Shrill, sharp, piercing, acute Low, deep, murmuring. 

Shun, avoid, elude, eschew Court, seek, affect. 

Shy, coy, reserved, timid- — Brazen-faced, impudent. 

Sibilant, hissing, outcry Mellow, musical, melodious. 

Sign, omen, signal, token — -Misrepresentation. 

Signify, denote, express, portend Conceal, preclude. 

Silence, stillness, tactiturnit^— - Garrulity, chatter. 

Silent, dumb, speechless, mute Noisy, loquacious. 

Silly, absurd, foolish, weak Astute, wise, intelligent. 

Simple, artless, silly, plain Artful, designing, affected. 

Sincere, frank, honest, true Feigned, pretended. 

Sinew, strength, muscle, brawn Frailty, feebleness. 

Sinister, unfair, bad, evil Lucky, fortunate, engaging. 

Skill, dexterity, expertness, faculty Awkwardness. 

Sleek, smooth, glossy, silken Rough, hairy, bristly. 

Sleep, repose, slumber, drowse Be awake, activity. 

Slender, fragile, slight, slim Thick, stout, massive. 

Sly, artful, cunning, crafty Open, frank, artless. 



SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS. 99 

Smooth, bland, easy, oily Uneven, rugged, harsh. 

Solace, comfort, cheer, relief Affliction, aggravation. 

Solitary, alone, desolate, lonely Frequented, cheerful. 

Solve, resolve, explain, unfold Mystify, bewilder. 

Somnolent, sleepy, dreamy Wakeful, alert, vigilant. 

Soothe, appease, assuage, allay Rouse, exasperate. 

Sordid, mean, covetous, foul Pure, liberal, honorable. 

Sore, tender, painful, raw Painless, sound, healthful. 

Sort, kind, species, class Non-description. 

Sour, acid, acrimonious, tart Sweet, wholesome. 

Sparkle, glitter, radiant, shine Smoulder, stagnate. 

Spicy, pungent, aromatic, scented Fetid", inodorous. 

Spirit, ardor, courage, life- — Dullness, indifference. 

Spite, grudge, malice, pique Good-will, benevolence. 

Splendid, grand, superb, showy Tame, poor, beggarly. 

Spongy, porous, soft Impervious, compact, hard. 

Sprite, spirit, ghost, specter— Body, organism, animal. 

Spy, watch, discern, see Miss, overlook, misobserve. 

Stagnant, still, lifeless Brisk, rapid, lively. 

Staid, steady, grave, sedate Flighty, erratic, eccentric. 

Stain, blemish, blot, flaw Purity, intactness, honor. 

Stern, austere, severe, rigid Genial, kindly, lenient. 

Stifle, suffocate, choke, throttle Ventilate, vent, fan. 

Stratagem, artifice, deception Fairness, simplicity. 

Structure, form, edifice, fabric Ruin, demolition, heap. 

Style, manner, diction Solecism, provincialism. 

Sublime, elevated, grand, stately Ordinary, ignoble. 

Submit, surrender, yield, comply Oppose, resist. 

Subterfuge, shift, trick, dodge Frankness, challenge. 

Subtle, cunning, crafty, wily Honest, artless, simple. 

Sudden, hasty, unanticipated — Expected, deliberate. 

Suggest, hint, intimate, propose Declare, dictate. 

Summary, brief, laconic Dilatation, expansion. 

Sundry, different, various, diverse Same, similar. 

Supple, pliable, flexible, yielding Stiff, firm, inelastic. 

Supreme, highest, chief Minor, inferior, secondary. 



100 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

Surfeit, fullness, excess Stint, starvation, insufficiency. 

Surly, morose, crabbed Bright, cheerful, blithe, gay. 

Surprise, startle, amaze Prepare, forewarn. 

Surround, beset, encircle Disenclose, disencompass. 

Survey, prospect, review Ignore, misview, overlook. 

Suspicion, distrust, mistrust Confide, rely, believe. 

Sympathy, pity, compassion Antipathy, antagonism. 

Tacit, silent, implied Open, expressed, declared. 

Taint, corrupt, infect Cleanse, purify, disinfect. 

Talent, ability, faculty Inability, incompetence. 

Talk, dialogue, conversation Monologue, soliloquy. 

Tantalize, torment, taunt, tease Gratify, satisfy. 

Taunt, revile, insult, jeer Compliment, congratulate 

Tedious, dilatory, slow, prolix Interesting, exciting. 

Temerity, rashness, heedlessness Timidity, caution. 

Tempt, allure, attract, entice Dissuade, deter, warn. 

Tender, delicate, soft, weak Tough, sturdy, robust. 

Tenor, course, purport, drift Incoherence, irrelevance. 

Tense, stiff, rigid, inflexible Pliant, yielding, placid. 

Tenuous, thin, slender, spare Thick, ample, broad. 

Terror, alarm, apprehension Confidence, boldness. 

Terse, pithy, expressive Prolix, diffuse, inconcise. 

Test, try, experiment, ordeal Misindication, misproof. 

Thick, dense, close, compact Thin, porous, spongy. 

Throb, beat, pulsate Still, calm, fixed, quiet. 

Thrust, push, stab Draw, retract, extract. 

Thump, blow, strike, smite Caress, soothe, pat. 

Tidy, neat, clean, spruce Slovenly, disorderly. 

Tie, bind, fasten, join Liberate, free, loose. 

Timely, opportune, seasonable Late, unseasonable. 

Titter, laugh, giggle, grin Sob, whine, blubber. 

Top, crown, crest, apex Foot, bottom, base, root. 

Tophet, hell, hades Heaven, paradise, Eden. 

Torpid, sluggish, inactive Lively, nimble, energetic. 

Torrid, burning, hot, arid — -Temperate, cool, frigid. 
Torture, pain, anguish Ecstacy, rapture, bliss. 



SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS. 101 

Total, whole, entire Part, fraction, section. 

Toy, plaything, bauble Implement, utensil, weapon. 

Traduce, censure, condemn Praise, commend. 

Trail, track, scent Misindication, obliteration. 

Transient, fleeting, short- — Abiding, lasting, enduring. 

Treacherous, faithless, insidious Loyal, true, constant. 

Tremble, shake, quiver Steady, still, calm. 

Trial, attempt, effort, essay Non-trial, disregard. 

Trifling, futile, frivolous Important, weighty, critical. 

True, honest, plain False, perfidious, spurious. 

Trust, belief, credit Doubt, misgiving, distrust. 

Tumble, drop, fall Rise, soar, mount, climb. 

Turbulent, riotous, tumultuous Peaceful, regular. 

Turgid, tumid, swollen Smooth, equable, subdued. 

Type, emblem, symbol, token Disguise, decoy, ruse. 

Tyro, beginner, novice, neophyte Adept, expert. 

Unalloyed, pure, chaste Foul, turbid, corrupt. 

Unblemished, faultless, spotless Sullied, stained. 

Unblushing, shameless, brazen Refined, modest. 

Unbosom, reveal, confess Conceal, hide, cover. 

Unbroken, entire, whole Partial, broken, incomplete. 

Uncertain, doubtful, precarious True, sure, assured. 

Uncouth, odd, unseemly Refined, well-bred, polished. 

Undaunted, bold, intrepid Cautious, cowardly, timid. 

Unfold, develop, display Contract, restrict, condense. 

Unhandy, awkward, uncouth Clever, dexterous. 

Unison, accordance, concord Discord, variance. 

Unravel, develop, unfold Mystify, conceal, restrict. 

Unrelenting, cruel, relentless Lenient, mild, easy. 

Unruly, ungovernable, perverse Obedient, amenable. 

Unusual, rare, seldom Customary, common, frequent. 

Uproar, bustle, confusion Peace, order, tranquillity. 

Urge, animate, encourage Repress, discourage. 

Urgent, earnest, pressing Trivial, unimportant. 

Utopian, chimerical, ideal Actual, real, veritable. 

Vacant, empty, void Full, filled, occupied. 



102 SUCCESSFUL WRITING. 

Vacillating, fluctuating, unsteady Fixed, settled. 

Vagabond, vagrant, itinerant Worker, laborer. 

Vagary, whim, caprice Purpose, determination. 

Vague, indefinite, loose Definite, pointed, specific. 

Vain, conceited, egotistic Simple, unassuming. 

Vanish, disappear, fade Appear, approach, loom. 

Vanity, arrogance, conceit — -Humility, self-distrust. 

Vapid, insipid, flat Spirited, animated, pungent. 

Vary, alter, differ, change Retain, perpetuate. 

Vaunt, boast, brag, puff Repress, decry, detract. 

Veer, turn, swerve, shift Stand, remain, persist. 

Vehement, earnest, eager Mild, passionless, stoical. 

Velocity, swiftness, speed Slowness, sluggishness. 

Venerate, revere, respect Despise, execrate, abhor. 

Venial, pardonable, excusable Unpardonable. 

Venomous,poisonous, noxious Wholesome,salubrious. 

Verdant, green, fresh, new Old, faded, world-worn. 

Vice, blemish, fault, sin Purity, perfection, goodness. 

Vicious, immoral, wicked Virtuous, pure, innocent. 

Virulent, poisonous, malignant Salutory, wholesome. 

Vision, specter, phantom Reality, substance, verity. 

Volatile, light, airy, gay Dull, solid, demure. 

Voluble, fluent, talkative Hesitating, stammering. 

Wanton, lascivious, reckless Discreet, austere. 

Warm, ardent, jealous Frigid, cold indifferent. 

Wary, cautious, prudent Heedless, unguarded. 

Weary, tired, worn, fatigued Fresh, hearty, recruited. 

Wet, moisten, dampen Drain, parch, dry. 

Wicked, bad, evil, sinful Virtuous, moral, religious. 

Wild, savage, uncultivated Meek, refined, polished. 

Willful, perverse, obstinate — -Docile, obedient, willing. 

Wilt, fade, wither, droop Swell, freshen, luxuriate. 

Wily, cunning, crafty Simple, artless, innocent. 

Wise, judicious, sage Illiterate, ignorant. 

Woful, calamitous, afflictive— —Happy, prosperous. 
Wonder, surprise, amaze Indifference, anticipation. 



SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS. 103 

Worry, tease, trouble, vex Calm, soothe, gratify. 

Wretched, unhappy, vile Joyous, blissful, pleasant. 

Wrong, unfit, unsuitable Proper, correct, accurate. 

Wry, atwist, askew, deranged Straight, right, fit. 

Yearn, crave, desire Loathe, revolt, recoil. 

Youthful, juvenile, callow Aged, senile, decrepit. 

Zeal, ardor, interest Torpor, apathy, indifference. 

Zenith, height, summit Antipodes, depth, base. 

Zephyr, west wind, mild breeze Gale, tempest, storm. 

Zest, flavor, relish Distaste, disrelish, insipidity. 



THE END. 










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